


Immortal Janto: The Full Series

by Daelena



Category: Doctor Who, Torchwood
Genre: Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/F, I'm just really slow about getting chapters posted here, It's longer over there, M/M, There's lots of silliness, Torchwood/Doctor Who - Freeform, and family feels, and tears
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-12
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2018-08-30 12:06:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 67
Words: 108,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8532412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daelena/pseuds/Daelena
Summary: The on-going tale of life, love, and adventures of the immortal duo and regular companions to the Doctor , Ianto Jones and Captain Jack Harkness. Starts after "Children of Earth" and mentions "Miracle Day." Features characters from both Torchwood and Doctor Who. Runs in parallel to my FF.net series of the same name.





	1. Life Happens

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who or Torchwood. I'm just playing in this sandbox.
> 
> Welcome to the "Immortal Janto" series. Obviously, this comes from my FF.net series of the same name. I've decided to have the series be posted here and go in parallel to the one I have on the other site
> 
> This is my take on how the Torchwood showrunners could have brought back Ianot Jones, even with retconning some of Doctor Who (including bringing back David Tennant as the 10th Doctor). In my canon, Ten hasn't regenerated yet and was able to save Wilf without getting injected with a lethal dose of radioactive material

Chapter 1: Life Happens

            There were certain things that Ianto Jones knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, would happen to him. Dying was one of them.

            Leaving behind loved ones when he did die was another.

            It was only worse when said loved one included a dashingly handsome and charming man who cannot die. At least, that’s how Ianto felt whenever he contemplated his own mortality. He had resigned himself (when he first fell in love with Jack) that, eventually, he would die and Jack would move on and love someone else just as he had loved Ianto. After a while, that thought didn’t bother Ianto as much as it initially had.

            Jack was the kind of man who, when he loved someone, loved them with his whole heart and whole being. Ianto loved Jack and he knew that Jack loved him in return. So, it didn’t hurt as much, knowing that one day he would die, because Jack would still love him, in his own way, long after he was dead and gone.

            When his death was imminent, at the hands of the 456s, Ianto was sad, as anyone would be in the face of their death, but strangely at peace, despite only having a short time with the love of his life.

            Which meant that he was oddly disoriented when he bolted upright – awake and alive – from cool metal grating in a very, _very_ odd room that he was absolutely sure was neither Heaven nor Hell.

And the tall, thin man in a suit and Converses crouching in front of him, grinning like a madman or a child at Christmas was the last person he expected to see there. Ianto recognized him instantly. It was hard not to, especially when one was in a committed relationship with (and also worked with) Captain Jack Harkness.

            “Hello, Ianto,” the Doctor said, tilting his head to the side. “It’s about time you woke up.”

            Ianto drew in a deep, if gasping breath. “What? What happened?”

            “Well . . . you died.”

            “I knew that.”

            “Right, of course you did.” The Doctor stood up and helped him climb to his feet, albeit a little slowly and stiffly. “You’re smart. That’s one reason Jack loves you so much.” Ianto’s heart gave a flip-flop at the very mention of Jack. His face must have shown that emotion because the Doctor drew a sharp breath. “The thing is, Jack thinks you’re dead.”

            Ianto opened his mouth to say something but the Doctor raised a hand to silence him.

            “I’m sorry, Ianto. I’m so sorry, but he has to keep thinking you’re dead, at least for the time being, Ianto. I wish there was another way, but there isn’t.”

            He felt like his world just got tugged out from underneath his feet – again. Ianto stumbled around the very weird control panel and collapsed onto the cushioned chairs that sat by the circular panel and the long column.

            “Why?”

            It was a simple enough question, honestly asked. Ianto looked to the Doctor and saw the enormously sad look on his face. There was grief, deep grief, for lost life, lost love in his eyes. Ianto finally understood what Jack meant about the depth of Time Lord emotion because the young Welshman wanted nothing more than to help this old time traveler.

            “Because his role in the future of Earth in the next few years depends heavily on his belief that you are dead.”

            “Aren’t I? Dead, I mean?” He looked down at himself and saw what he was wearing – really wearing – for the first time since he woke up. He had to smile at the irony of the situation.          Ianto Jones was wearing funeral clothes.

            The Doctor came over and sat on the cushion next to him. “You were, for a while, but then you came back.”

            “How?” The questions were never-ending today.

            The chuckled he earned from the Doctor was light, humorous, encouraging.

            “It seems as though the Time Vortex can be passed between people a lot easier than I thought it could.” It was Ianto’s turn to tilt his head to the side quizzically. The Doctor elaborated. “Jack was mortal – once – and he died, nobly might I add. But he was brought back by a friend, a friend who had looked into the Heart of the TARDIS and absorbed the Time Vortex into herself. It took my last regeneration’s life in order to get the Vortex out of her.” Here, the Doctor smiled, if more faintly than before. “But, you see, the easiest way to pass the Vortex between people is through intimate encounters, a kiss maybe.”

            The innuendo was there, subtle, but still there. Ianto had been with Jack long enough to be quite good at picking up on those.

            “I don’t understand,” Ianto stated. “How does this apply to me?”

            The Doctor nodded, understanding. He leaned back a bit. “Jack has had some of the Vortex inside of him ever since then. That’s the part of him that makes him immortal. It remained dormant, for the most part. Problem is, the Rift activity seems to have aggravated that little piece of him, so when you two consummate your relationship, well . . . let’s just say, that the Vortex decided that you would make a lovely home as well.”

            It hit Ianto like a ton of bricks. “I’m immortal?”

            “Yes, you are.”

            “But why didn’t I come back as quick as Jack normally does? They buried me!”

            Wincing, the Doctor gave him a look. “Yeah, your first death was what triggered the Vortex to revive your body. Apparently, it took Jack a lot longer than normal to revive after his first death. The shorter periods come with practice, he told me. Anyway, the piece of the Vortex in you is very small, small that what’s in Jack, so it’ll take longer for you to revive.”

            “How did you know to come and find me?”

            “Because I looked into Jack’s future. After Donna . . .”

            The Doctor trailed off into his thoughts. Ianto realized that, whoever this Donna was, she was very important to the Doctor and that whatever had happened to her had made the Doctor very sad.

            “I’m sorry, Doctor, for Donna.”

            “No, it’s alright. Donna’s alive. She just doesn’t remember me, remember anything outside her own little world, and it has to stay that way, for her own sake and safety.” Sorrow clouded the Doctor’s face for a moment, before clearing. “As I was saying, I looked into the futures of a few friends, Jack being one of them, and I saw him, with you, centuries from now, happily exploring the galaxy. You lot were off on your honeymoon, though which one, I still haven’t figured out.” Ianto raised a surprised eyebrow at this. “You and Jack will get married, multiple times apparently.”

            “You knew I would die, then?”  
            Here, the Doctor clasped his shoulder. “Yep. When I dropped in on you and Jack, you – the future you, that is – told me what would happen and that I would have to look after you for the first few years of your immortality, because Jack would be too busy saving the world and he couldn’t get distracted by you while he was doing it.”

            “So now what?”

            “You get to travel with me,” the Doctor said, astutely. “I’ve been told that I need someone to keep me in line and you come with some high recommendations.”

            Ianto looked around at, what he now realized, was the control room of the Doctor’s TARDIS. He had heard about some of Jack’s travels and adventures with the Doctor. It all seemed too much for him to take in. But Ianto Jones is a logical person, so, given the (sketchy) facts that the Doctor has just thrown his way, he makes the only choice that he could possibly make, given the situation.

            “Well, if I’ve got nothing better to do for the next few years, I might as well.”

            The Doctor smiles. “Brilliant!”


	2. Things Lost and Things Gained

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reflections on traveling with the Doctor, as told by Ianto Jones. Follows “Life Happens.” Doctor/Donna, hints of Jack/Ianto. Hints of Doctor Who canon. Part of the “Immortal Janto” series.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Nope, I don’t own. Sadly.
> 
> This is what Ianto is feeling, as a companion to the Doctor. It’s Ianto’s thoughts on the time he spent, waiting to be reunited with Jack.

            By now, Ianto really shouldn’t be surprised when weird things happen. After all, he died, came back to life, found that he was immortal (which he’s actually not that upset about), and has to wait an unspecified number of years until he can be reunited with the equally immortal love of his life.

            That last bit sucks royally.

            At first, he didn’t mind, because he was travelling with the Doctor and that meant that there was adventure and problems to solve at every corner. The Doctor is infinitely worse than Jack is at attracting trouble and . . . well, the Doctor never seems to be plagued (ever) by long periods of time without sex. Ianto had trouble with that because they never stuck around a place long enough for him to get laid.

            Oh, Ianto was in love with Jack and he would be until he died permanently. He couldn’t wait until they were together again. Jack would probably insist that they stay in the bedroom for a week (at least).

            And it wasn’t that sex with Jack isn’t amazing. (It is!)

            It’s just that, when you don’t know when you’re allowed to see the love of your life and you _really_ want to have sex with said love of your life, you tend to get very sexually frustrated. And Ianto Jones does not like to be sexually frustrated when Jack’s not around to make everything better.

            Ianto enjoys travelling with the Doctor. He was good at seeing the solutions that the Doctor couldn’t and fixing the problems that the Doctor caused. Jack was really good training for that.

            Plus, the Doctor taught him how to fly the TARDIS. That was fun. Ianto found that he had some degree of telepathic connection with the TARDIS. The Doctor said that it had to do with the tiny piece of the Time Vortex in him that made him immortal. He finds that the TARDIS is good at sympathizing with him, especially when he needs to vent at someone.

            The hardest part, he realized after the first year, was the fact that they had to be careful whenever they were on Earth.

            Everyone thought that he was dead and they had to keep it that way until he could be reunited with Jack. Of course, this whole situation with “Miracle Day” and no one dying made it a bit more interesting.

            Not that they didn’t keep an eye on Jack and Gwen. He would be a bad lover and a bad friend if he didn’t.

            Gwen, he thought, was a good mum, though still too gung-ho for adventure. Her little girl was beautiful. Seeing Gwen, Rhys, and Anwen, even from afar, made him ache for a family with Jack. One day, the Doctor had told him. One day, they’ll have that. It’s just so frustrating so see Gwen, of all people, with a family of her own.

            Jack, on the other hand, was harder at first to follow, simply because he moping around the galaxy. It touched Ianto that Jack was grieving for him, but, to be perfectly honest, he wanted to smack Jack. If Ianto had been permanently dead, he would have wanted Jack to move on. Ianto didn’t grudge Jack his hook-up with Alonso. That had been the Doctor’s idea. He had thought that it might be nice to nudge Jack back into functionality because Jack would be needed on Earth.

            Still, they did manage to visit Earth. He even managed to visit Cardiff and the Hub (though covertly). Ianto had found one of Jack’s spare jackets, a black trench coat, in the remains of the Hub. It smelled like Jack, so he had taken it with him and started wearing it. The Doctor had been wary about it, but Donna, once she had joined up with them after Ianto had figured out a way to stabilize the Time Lord-Human metacrisis in her, had said that it made him more distinguished, not that he would _ever_ tell Jack that.

            Every time Ianto sees the Doctor staring at Donna, clearly lost in happy thoughts and memories, he smiles.

            It had been a stroke of sheer luck that had allowed him the chance to fix what was wrong with the metacrisis and bring Donna back. The Doctor just hadn’t been right without her. He knew that now. The red-head livened up the TARDIS and their lives. Ianto had actually taken a page out of Jack’s book and devised an elaborate scheme that had ended with the Doctor and Donna playing a game of Naked Hide-and-Seek, in order to force a Vortex effect on Donna.

            The Doctor had been shell-shocked when he came into the control room the morning after and saw Ianto sitting at the controls, sipping a mug of tea, a secret smile hidden behind the mug. Ianto was very proud of himself for getting those two together. So was the TARDIS.

            He couldn’t imagine a life where he didn’t have his adopted sister. Donna had insisted on calling him family, especially since, as she put it, they were both “shagged into immortality.” Technically, that wasn’t true for Donna, since she was part-Time Lord, but the sentiment was still there. She had dragged him to tea with her mother and grandfather on multiple occasions, after swearing both of them to secrecy about him still being alive (in the very remote off-chance that Jack ever came to visit).

            Sylvia Noble was reserved about meeting him at first, simply because he travelled with the Doctor. She had declared, after meeting him, that he was the kind of man that she had hoped Donna would marry one day. Both Ianto and Donna fell into fits of giggles at the slightest mention of that afternoon.

            Wilfred, on the other hand, had accepted him with open arms. The old man told him, much later, that he owed Ianto more than he could ever repay, since he had given Donna back her old spark, the spark that she had had when she was with the Doctor. Ianto was flustered at that. He never got used to people thanking him for the things like that. He did it because it was the right thing to do.

            Donna and the Doctor were his family, as much as his co-workers at Torchwood had been.

            He still mourns Toshiko and Owen and he knows that he always will. Their deaths came just before his. Ianto knows that Jack feels the blame for that and it hurts that he can’t reassure Jack that it wasn’t his fault, that good things came of their relationship and his first death.

            Ianto had managed to go secretly to their graves, one trip back to Earth, and leave flowers at their graves. He had also left flowers at his own grave, mainly out of irony and out of memory for what was left behind. Donna had left flowers as well because she had wanted to memorialize his old life. He smiled at her love.

            But, even as he knows that he has lost things and has left things behind, he knows that good things have come of it.

            He has become a valuable member of the TARDIS crew. He got to help people, just like had done at Torchwood, only on a larger scale. He had been the one to get Donna and the Doctor together (and had stood as joint best man/maid of honor at their very small wedding). He was the proud uncle of Donna and the Doctor’s very rambunctious twins, a boy named Geoff (after Donna’s late dad) and a girl named S.J. (after the Doctor’s dear former companion, Sarah Jane).

            Ianto has plenty to keep him occupied. There are always problems to solve and people to help. He’s the always-present babysitter for Geoff and S.J. whenever the Doctor and Donna have date nights.

            He knows that, one day, he’ll have his wedding (or weddings, if what the Doctor says is correct). He knows that he’ll have a family and that his children will have Geoff and S.J., as constant playmates, cousins, and friends. He knows that the Doctor and Donna will be babysitters for his children, because Donna said that they would repay the debt in kind (since they both know that Jack will insist on lots of those), and he looks forward to the first time that happens, because the Doctor’s face will be priceless. He knows that Sylvia and Wilfred will dote on his children and, hopefully, accept Jack as they had him, which isn’t so much of a problem, since Jack is a charmer.

            Still, the waiting is the hardest part.

            But one day, out of the blue, fifteen TARDIS years (or five Earth years) after Ianto died, the Doctor comes into the TARDIS control room after a date night, wearing one of his patented madmen/child at Christmas grins (no really, they’re patented), and announces:

            “Ianto Jones, let’s go get your lover.”


	3. All You Need Is Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reunion between Jack and Ianto. Jack/Ianto, Doctor/Donna. Follows “Life Happens” and “Things Lost and Things Gained.” Part of the “Immortal Janto” series.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Oh how I wish I could own. Then it would be Janto-time forever!
> 
> To set the time line – it’s been five Earth years since Ianto “died” and three years since Miracle Day – it’s 2014. However, for Ianto, it’s been fifteen years since he “died” and last seen Jack. Donna and the Doctor got married roughly seven years after Ianto discovered his immortality and their twins are six years old.
> 
> This is what you’ve been waiting for! The reunion between Jack and Ianto!!!!!!!! What could possibly be better? An immortal Ianto and an immortal Jack wondering around the universe together? Anyways, before I go off into mental happy place and become too useless to do anything literary, let’s begin.

            Jack’s ears perked up as he heard the tell-tale sounds of the TARDIS materializing. A grin crossed his face. It had been years since he had seen or heard from the Doctor. Granted, things had been very busy as of late. Between the destruction of Torchwood and then the disastrous events surrounding Miracle Day, he just hadn’t found the time to track down the Doctor and his doings on Earth.

            He looked across the table at Gwen, who had little Anwen sitting next to her, the four-year-old girl happily eating her cereal. Behind her, Rhys paused from his fusing with the breakfast dishes. They had heard the noises as well, even if they didn’t know what it meant.

            “I’ll be back!” he exclaimed, bolting away from the table, grabbing his over-coat as he went.

            He didn’t even pause as he heard Gwen loudly call his name in surprise. The Doctor was here and that super ceded everything else, even other old friends.

            Briefly, Jack knew he had to be grateful to both Gwen and Rhys. They had allowed him to crash with them after the problems of Miracle Day and no one dying had taken place. It been a tumultuous three years, devising a serum to reactive everyone’s death clocks and then to inoculate the whole world. And, somewhere in the middle of it, Jack’s own immortality had kicked back in, after one miserable return to Cardiff, when he visited the remains of the Hub and Ianto’s grave.

            There had been fresh flowers at the grave. His heart broke at the memory of it. Someone, besides himself and Ianto’s family, loved Ianto enough to leave flowers. He had cried for hours when he had seen it.

            Still, it had felt right when Gwen and Rhys had moved back to Wales. He had followed, eventually.

            But Jack pushed that out of his mind as he hurried down the drive and saw the familiar blue police box standing on the side of the road, seeming innocent to the average passerby. But Jack was most definitely not the average passerby and that certainly was not the average police box.

            He strode up to it and banged on the door, grinning broadly, vaguely aware of the fact that Gwen and Rhys were just coming down the hill behind him, Anwen in Gwen’s arms.

            A moment later, it opened to reveal a boy with unruly reddish-brown hair and big brown eyes who couldn’t be more than six. The boy stared up at him, head tilted to the side in a manner that was very familiar.

            “Are you my Uncle Jack?” the boy asked, innocently.

            “I dunno,” Jack replied. “It depends on who your parents are.”

            “Geoff! What are you doing?” a female voice called from inside the TARDIS. Jack felt his jaw drop. It couldn’t be!

            The boy, Geoff, turned back to look into the TARDIS. “Mum, is this Uncle Jack?”

            Laughter filled the air as Donna Noble, long recovered from the dangers of a Time Lord-Human metacrisis, appeared in the doorway of the TARDIS. She took one look at Jack and smiled broadly, putting her hand on the boy’s shoulder – her son, Jack now realized in great surprise.

            “Yes, son. That’s your Uncle Jack.” She looked behind Jack briefly. “And Auntie Gwen and Uncle Rhys and cousin Anwen, as well, if I’m not mistaken.”

            Jack gaped. “Donna . . . you’re . . . you remember?”

            She nodded. “Of course, silly. It’s easy to stabilize a metacrisis, if you know where to look.” Her eyes were twinkling quite mischievously as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Jack saw the wedding ring on her hand. When did that happen?

            “What’s going on out here?”

            The all-too familiar voice of the Doctor sailed out of the TARDIS. Moments later, the Doctor, unchanged as ever after all these years, appeared beside Donna, a little girl with ginger hair clinging shyly to his side. Jack saw the ring that matched Donna’s on the Doctor’s hand. So, he thought, they got married then.

            Jack knelt down so that he was on the same level as the little girl. She was cute and, if she had her mother’s genetics, she would be a knock-out beauty when she grew up.

            “What’s your name, beautiful?”

           

The girl giggled. “S.J.”

            He extended his hand to her, which she daintily took. “Do those letters stand for anything?”

            S.J. looked up to her father. The Doctor nodded to her, smiling proudly, as only a father could. She looked back to him, smiling sweetly. “Sarah Jane.”

            It took everything in him to suppress the sorrow of the memory of Sarah Jane Smith’s death shortly before Miracle Day. Cancer was a cruel bitch sometimes and had stolen a paragon of the companion. Jack had only met her on a few occasions, but she had always kept him on his toes with her vivaciousness and her will, even seeking him out after Ianto’s death, to comfort him and lend a friendly ear.

            “Now that’s an honorable name,” he said to her before looking at the boy, the Doctor’s son. “Well, S.J., Geoff, I’m Jack.” He paused and chuckled. “Your Uncle Jack, I suppose. I don’t know what your parents have told you about me, but it’s not all true. Unless it’s about how dashingly handsome and heroic I am. Then it is true.”  
            The two children giggled.

            “Mum and Dad only tell us some stuff,” Geoff told him. The boy had inherited the boldness of both of his parents. “But we’ve heard a lot about you.”

            Jack raised his eyebrow. “Really?”

            “Uncle Yan is a great story-teller,” S.J. affirmed. “He tells us lots of stories about your adventures.”

            The world lurched in front of Jack.

            “Uncle . . . Yan?”

            He looked up to the Doctor, questions in his eyes. The Doctor only smiled, a bit mysteriously. Donna nudged her husband, whispering something that only the Doctor could hear. She pulled the Time Lord from the door of the TARDIS, looking back inside of the machine briefly.

            “Oi, you gonna stay in there all day? There’s someone out here who’s _dying_ to see you,” she called back, good-naturedly, before turning back to look at Gwen and Rhys, who came to a few feet behind Jack. “What is it with men and primping?”

            Jack didn’t hear Gwen’s response because another voice, so familiar and so dear to Jack, floated out from the TARDIS. “Donna, I do not primp. Men don’t primp.”

            And there he was.

            Ianto Jones walked out of the TARDIS, looking as if nothing had happened to him, wearing one of his usual suits and pulling on a black trench coat that Jack _knew_ was one of his. Jack’s stomach clenched. Ianto looked good. Ianto looked better than good. Ianto looked great!

            And Ianto looked alive!

            Their eyes met.

            Ianto smiled that sweet smile that Jack had engrained into his memory and his soul. “Hello, Jack. It’s been a while.”

            Slowly, Jack stood up. He took a step towards Ianto, not quite wanting to touch him, in case this was just a dream. But damn, there was Ianto. The part of Jack that died when Ianto had died came flaring back to life.

            “It has been,” Jack replied, cautiously. “You died.”

            “But then I came back. It was only temporary.” The casual tone in his voice was all Ianto.

            “How?”

            Both the Doctor and Ianto smiled at that one. Ianto stepped forward and took his hand, lacing their fingers together. His hand was warm and comforting.

            “I’ll explain everything to you later, sir.” His smile got bigger and brighter. “We have all the time in the universe.”

            Jack’s control broke and he smiled the biggest, brightest, most handsome smile the world had seen in five very long years. He reached out his free hand and snagged the front of Ianto’s – his! – coat and pulled Ianto close to him. He could feel Ianto’s heart beating and it was the most wonderful sound Jack had ever heard.

            And then Jack kissed Ianto.

            It was absolutely mind-blowing.

            When Jack pulled back, Ianto was smiling, his eyes bright with unshed tears. Jack knew the feeling. He was struggling and failing to fight back tears of his own. Ianto laughed a bit and reached a hand to stroke Jack’s cheek, wiping away Jack’s tears.

            “I’ve missed you,” Jack whispered.

            Ianto smiled at him. “I know. I’ve missed you as well.”

            He studied Ianto’s face. It was the same face that Jack had etched into his memories. Ianto was still the same in his youthful innocence. But there was something else there, something new, something older and more world-wise, in his eyes. For a moment, Jack thought he saw the pain and sorrow that only came with traveling with the Doctor. And he also saw love, pure, unabashed love.

            And hope.

            There was hope in Ianto’s eyes.

            A hand on his cheek drew him out of his thoughts.

            “Hey Jack,” Ianto quietly said. His voice was shy, almost afraid. “I wanted to tell you something.”

            Jack leaned forward and touched his forehead against Ianto’s. “Yeah, Yan, what is it?”

            “I love you.”

            His heart swelled. “Hey Ianto.” The Welshman raised his head, just marginally. “I love you too.”

            He was rewarded with a little kiss on the lips.

            As they parted, Jack licked his lips, still tasting the goodness that was Ianto. It felt so good to have Ianto back in his arms. Silently, Jack resolved that, now that he had Ianto back, there was no way in any hell that he was letting him go.

            Ianto looked over Jack’s shoulder and laughed. Jack turned ever so slightly and grinned. Gwen and Rhys were both silent, eyes wide. In his focus on Ianto, Jack didn’t even think about what they might be thinking. Given that he (like them) had thought that Ianto was dead, until just a few minutes ago, it made sense that they both were in shock.

            Well . . . that and the presence of the Doctor, Donna, their twins, and the TARDIS made everything even more nutty.

            “It’s good to see you again, Gwen, Rhys,” Ianto said, slowly disentangling himself from Jack, who deliberately made the process more difficult. He cast a look at the American immortal and shook his head. Jack just gave him a smoldering look.

            “We all thought . .  .” Gwen’s voice hitched in her voice. A wide range of emotions played across her face, Jack noted – surprised, happiness, friendly affection, and . . . was that jealousy?

            “Yeah, death has the effect on people. Fortunately, Ianto happens to be one of those lucky people who actually benefitted from a Vortex transfer,” the Doctor piped up from behind them. Gwen and Rhys look at him, confusion on their faces. Donna nudged him and he recovered. “Oh yeah, I’m the Doctor, by the way. This is my lovely wife, Donna.” He grinned like a madman. “Ianto’s been hanging out with me for the last few years. Couldn’t very well bring him back while Jack had to busy saving the world, again. Didn’t want to distract him.” Ianto scoffed at that and Jack found that he couldn’t agree more. “Still, this point is a fixed point in time, can’t change it!”

            Somewhere in that jumbled up speech, Jack caught the gist of what the Doctor was saying. He looked at Ianto with wide eyes and many a-thoughts running through his mind. Ianto was immortal!

            Oh the things that Jack Harkness was thinking.

            Donna squeezed the Doctor’s hand, silencing him.

            “What the Doctor means to say,” she summarized, “is that, Ianto’s immortal, like Jack, due to their relationship before Ianto died the first time.” The red-head laughed at a memory. “Though he’s died a few times since then.”

            Ianto flushed and Jack raised an eyebrow. “A _few_ times?” he had to ask.

            “I’ll tell you about it later.”

            Jack slipped an arm around Ianto’s waist. “I’ll hold you to it.”

            Ianto laughed. “I know you will.”

            Rhys recovered quicker than his wife. He stepped forward, extending his hand to Ianto. Ianto disentangled himself from Jack, which was a hard task because Jack was deliberately refusing to let go. The two Welshmen shook hands.

            “It’s good to have you back, mate. Jack just wasn’t the same without you.”

            “I know.” Ianto looked back at Jack. “I checked in on all of you over the years, to see how you were doing, to see how Anwen was growing.” He smiled at the girl in Gwen’s arms.

            Jack felt heart tug for love of Ianto. Wait . .  a thought filtered through his mind . . . Alonso. He cringed.

            “You were thinking about Alonso, weren’t you Jack?” Ianto asked, knowingly.

            “Yeah.”

            “Alonso?”

            Gwen’s voice was cautious and vaguely curious as she stepped next to her husband, putting Anwen down. Jack paused as he watched Geoff and S.J. approach the four-year-old. After a few seconds of sizing her up, the twins coaxed the girl to play with them up the hill a ways from the TARDIS, Donna and the Doctor calling instructions and reminders behind them. Rhys echoed those calls to his own child. Gwen was still in shock.

            Jack had neglected to inform Gwen and Rhys about his brief relationship with Alonso. It hadn’t last long, but it had reminded Jack about why he needed to be bound to Earth, at least for the time being.

            “That had been the Doctor’s idea,” Ianto explained. Jack looked at him, then looked at the Doctor, wide-eyed. Ianto squeezed his hand, drawing Jack’s attention solely on him as he continued softly. “It was shortly after I died that first time and the Doctor knew that you were grieving for me. He wanted you to recover, at least enough that you could get back to Earth when you needed to be, so you could fulfill your role in Miracle Day.”

            “You know about Alonso?” His voice was soft, weak.

            Ianto nodded. “Of course.” He cupped Jack’s face with a hand. “I don’t hate you for your relationship with him. I couldn’t. Besides, according to the Doctor, we’re going to be together for a very long time. Apparently, in eighty million years, we’re going to be on _another_ honeymoon, after we got married for the – well, I don’t know what number wedding that is. The Doctor didn’t say.”

            Jack didn’t bother glaring at the Doctor for that one. He simply smiled and hugged Ianto tightly.

            “Oh break it up, you two,” the Doctor called from near the TARDIS.

            Jack drew back a little bit and glared at the Doctor. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ianto shaking his head.

            “Like you weren’t any better when Donna came back!” Ianto retorted.

            Both the Doctor and Donna blushed at that comment. “Yes, well, you knew what was going to happen there,” the Doctor replied, back-pedaling. “You planned it, after all!”

            There was a story there, Jack knew it.

            “Naked Hide-and-Seek can solve anything!” Ianto exclaimed.

            “That it can,” Jack agreed.

            As the realization that that had eternity together sunk in, Jack smiled. If they had eternity, then, by damn, he was going to enjoy every minute of it. He tugged at Ianto’s hand, pulling him towards the TARDIS. Ianto smiled at him, letting him lead him inside.

            Faintly, he heard Donna and the Doctor laughing, but he didn’t care.

            Ianto led him through the twisting hallways of the TARDIS. The time machine/space ship rumbled warmly. It was welcoming Jack home, he could feel it. Finally, they stopped outside a door. The two immortals shared a look before Ianto reached up and pushed open the door to his – their – room.

            Jack stepped inside and felt his jaw drop. It was huge!

            A very large (and very comfortable looking) king-sized bed sat in the middle of the room. His imagination went wild at the thoughts of what they could do on that bed. He turned, surveying the whole room. There were little signs of Ianto everywhere, from the empty tea mug on the nightstand, to the books and papers spread out on the otherwise very neat work desk, to the jacket on the chair, to the tie that must have been thrown onto the dresser. It was such a Ianto space. A slow smile crossed his lips as Jack caught sight of the bathroom through an open door. There was a rather large Jacuzzi in there, one that the both of them would be enjoying.

            And then Jack saw the closet.

            “You have a walk-in closet!” His voice rose an octave in surprise.

            Ianto chuckled. “That wasn’t there this morning. The TARDIS must have known that you were coming.”

            He had never had a walk-in closet when he had been traveling with the Doctor previously.

            “Smart old girl, this TARDIS is.”

            “Yes she is.”

            Jack took Ianto’s hands in his. “Ianto Jones, I’m never going to let you go again. For better or for worse, you’re stuck with me.”

            It was crazy, but it sounded a little like wedding vows, not that Jack particularly minded.

            “And you’ve got me, until the end of Time itself, _Captain_ Jack Harkness,” Ianto responded.

            Ianto kissed him, slipping a hand to the small of Jack’s back. Jack responded by pulling Ianto’s free arm around his neck. Moments later, after happily exploring Ianto’s mouth with his tongue, Jack bent down some and scooped Ianto up bridal style, earning a surprised noise from the Welshman. He made a mental note to ask Ianto about his coat later on, though Jack was quite pleased that it smelled distinctly like Ianto.

            Carefully, Jack carried him over to the bed and set him down, climbing in after Ianto, coat and all.

            As he stretched out next to Ianto, he kissed Ianto’s neck, sucking a bit. Ianto’s hands found his hair, massaging the one spot that only Ianto knew Jack liked.

            “I’m glad you’re alive,” Jack said, honestly.

            Ianto smiled at him. “Me too.”

            “I love you, Ianto Harkness.”

            “I love you too, Jack Jones.”

            The two men looked at each other and started laughing. Jack buried his face into Ianto’s shoulder, breathing in the scent that he had sorely missed. If this was what eternity was going to be like, Jack knew that he had a lot to look forward to and he was good with that.


	4. A Matter of Coats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack and Ianto have a discussion about a coat. Ianto/Jack. Immediately follows “All You Need Is Love.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own anything and therefore am not making any money off of this.

            Jack grinned as he watched Ianto through cracked eyelids. He was pretending to be asleep so he could enjoy the quiet routine of his lover as he straightened up the room. They had been quite careless about where they had thrown their clothes. But some things never changed and Ianto being neat was one of them.

            Speaking of which, Ianto probably knew he was awake and watching him.

            That would account for the numerous times Jack was privy to seeing Ianto’s ass. Not that Jack was complaining. Ianto’s ass was great.

            Ianto picked up his black trench coat – the same black trench coat that Jack now was absolutely certain had once belonged to him. The Welsh immortal carefully straightened out, shaking out the wrinkles that had formed while it lay on the floor after Jack had oh so tenderly peeled it off and tossed it aside. Jack frowned a tiny bit and decided now was a good time as any to ask Ianto about the article of clothing.

            “You know, I think that’s mine,” he said softly, breaking the silence.

            A chuckle met his ears. “It was, once upon a time.”

            “Really? Then, where’d you get it?” Jack’s tone was playful as he opened his eyes and crawled to the end of the bed, closer to where Ianto stood, coat in hand.

            “From the rubble of the Hub, about four Earth years ago.” There was raw emotion there.

            Heart tugging for the man in front of him, Jack caught Ianto’s arm and pulled it towards him, kissing the inside of his wrist. Ianto shivered at the touch. Jack turned his face into Ianto’s arm, breathing softly.

            “Tell me.”

            Ianto heaved a ragged sigh. Jack saw how he pressed the coat to his chest, like it was a security blanket.

            “I had to go back, to see it again, to be sure, you know?” Jack did. “I went in alone. I couldn’t bear to let the Doctor see how bad the Hub really was. And there it was, this trench coat. I bet you forgot you had it.” Jack hadn’t, but he wasn’t going to say that.

            He kissed a little higher on Ianto’s arm. “What happened then?”

            “My heart literally stopped. Logically, I knew you were alive but a part of me cried out at the sight of it. I picked it up and, well, it still smelled like you. I took it with me. I’ve been wearing it ever since then, just because it was yours and it smelled like you. Had it on every time I,” here Ianto laughed hollowly and Jack squeezed his arm ever so lightly, “every time I went to lay flowers on Owen’s and Tosh’s graves. It made it seem like you were there, in spirit, with me, that they weren’t totally forgotten. And I wore it when I put flowers on my own grave. In case you never got a chance to and you would have wanted to, if I was actually. . .”

            Jack looked up at Ianto and understood.

            Underneath all of Ianto’s bravado and his casual acceptance of his immortality, he still wasn’t totally healed from the emotional strain of his first death yet.

            That made Jack angry.

            Angry that he couldn’t be there when Ianto came back to life. Angry at himself that he hadn’t thought to see if the Vortex had transferred over to Ianto. Angry at the Doctor because the Doctor had kept Ianto from him for all those years. Oh yes, Jack knew that, while it had only been five years for him, Ianto had had to suffer through fifteen years of waiting to be reunited with him. And he wished that he could just kiss away Ianto’s pain.

            Ianto wouldn’t look at him, through all of this. That hurt Jack the most

            “Hey.” Carefully, he pulled Ianto to face him, sliding a hand onto his hip, caressing Ianto’s skin with his thumb. “Hey,” he said again, finally getting Ianto to meet his eyes. There were unshed tears there. “Ianto, it’s alright. You don’t have to hurt anymore. You have me now and there is no _way_ I’m going to let you beat yourself up for those years we spent apart. You know why, Yan?”

            “Why?”

            Jack smiled brilliantly. “Because, if what you said is true, eighty million years from now, I want to be on my who-know-what number honeymoon with you after our God-only-knows-which wedding.”

            That earned him a smile, sweet and true.

            “So do I.”

            “Good.” Jack reached over and gently touched the coat. It was cool to his touch. He brought a sleeve to his nose and sniffed. True, there were still faint traces of him, but Jack smelled something very different in the fabric. He smiled as he leaned his cheek against the sleeve and looked up at Ianto. “You know what I smell, when I smell this coat?”

            “What?” Ianto’s eyes were wide and innocent.

            With all of the love that he had in him, Jack told Ianto:

            “You.”


	5. Mom, Dad, I'm Not Dead Yet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ianto decides that it’s a good time to let his family know that he’s not actually dead anymore. So, to help him out, Ianto brings Jack along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: No ownage going on here!

            Ianto was biting his lip. That was never a good sign.

            The crisp Welsh morning had dawned clear and bright. Jack had thought that it was as beautiful a morning as any he had seen, here in Cardiff. Granted, everything was looking a whole lot better, especially now that Ianto was back in his life.

            Still, that didn’t over-ride the fact that Ianto was clearly nervous about the task at hand. And, to be perfectly honest, Jack couldn’t blame him.

            In all of his years, Jack had never had to tell his parents that he wasn’t actually dead.

            He was actually very glad that the Doctor and Donna had gone to Chiswick for a visit to Donna’s family, taking the TARDIS and the twins with them. That way, Ianto couldn’t chicken out and go hide back in their room, though Jack honestly wouldn’t mind spending more time _there_. But still, the quiet of the TARDIS wasn’t there for Ianto to hide in, though Donna did promise that they would be back in time to “drop in” on the Jones family for lunch. Donna really wanted to meet her adopted brother’s biological family.

            Jack smiled at the memory of Donna mother-henning Ianto. He didn’t dare tell her that being a mother-hen to Ianto was technically _his_ job now. He was fully planning on easing that one on Donna. She did have her own sonic screwdriver (the Doctor had built her one, extra special) and Jack had long since learned the use of a sonic screwdriver.

            And, Jack noted, there was no way that Ianto was going to hide at Gwen’s. As much as he liked Rhys, Ianto had confessed that it was weird being around Gwen. Jack had sensed it too, but he honestly didn’t care what Gwen thought about Ianto’s sudden return to his life.

            He grabbed Ianto’s hand.

            “You have to do this, Yan,” he said. “For your family’s sake.”  
            Ianto sighed and nodded. “I know. I just can’t imagine what’ll go through their heads when they realize that they spent the last five years of their lives grieving for me and moving past that grief when I’m still alive and kicking.”

            His Ianto was so precious sometimes. Jack kissed him on the lips.

            “They’ll just be so damn happy to see you again! I know I was. Still am, for that matter.”

            That certainly did the trick. The blush that crossed Ianto’s cheeks was a good sign of that.

            Squaring his shoulders, Ianto adjusted his trench coat just a bit. Once that was done, he reached out and rang the doorbell of his parents’ house. Jack felt him drop his hand and frowned. There was no way that Jack was going to let him go through this without his touch. He grabbed Ianto’s hand and held on tightly.

            They shared a look and Ianto gave him a bright smile, silently sending messages with his eyes.

            It was then that the front door opened, revealing Gladys Jones, Ianto’s mother.

            A shocked gasp cut through the air as she saw her clearly-not dead son standing on her front door step.

            “Ia-Ianto,” she managed to say, weakly, stepping back.

            “Hello, Mam.”

            Gladys gasped for air, her hand on her chest, as her husband, having heard her shock, came to investigate. He too stopped short, face contorted in a look of disbelief, at the sight of his son, supposedly dead, now clearly alive. Jack saw, in that moment, what Ianto might look like, in far too many years to come.

            “Ianto,” Stuart Jones said, solidly, though surprised. “You’re – you’re alive!”

            Jack nudged Ianto’s shoulder, pushing him forward some, reluctantly letting go of his hand.

            “Yeah, I am, Tad.” He cautiously stepped into the house. “It’s kind of a long story.”

            “A long story!” his mother exclaimed, finding her voice. She gestured to him. “You’re dead!”

            Ianto bowed his head for a moment, hiding his smile. Recovering, he looked at his mother. “I got better.”

            “This isn’t funny,” his father shouted. Jack saw the anger, pain, and sorrow in Stuart’s eyes. The grief was still close to their hearts. “Our son is dead and here you are, playing tricks on us, making us believe that he’s still with us.”  
            The wince from Ianto reverberated in Jack. He was about to open his mouth to defend his lover but Ianto beat him to the punch.

            “Mam, Tad, it _is_ me, Ianto, your son. I _was_ dead, but I came back.” He squared his shoulder, glanced quickly at Jack for comfort, and continued. “I died because of a virus that the 456 had released. You buried me. But I wasn’t totally gone.” He had their attention now, though Jack could see both Gladys and Stuart simmering beneath the surface. Ianto came by his nature honestly. “See, I had this thing inside of me, a little thing, a tiny little bit of the Time Vortex, and it changed me. It made me immortal, but it didn’t kick in until after I died and, even then, it took a few days for my body to convert to immortality. But it’s there, still there, and I cannot die, because of it.”

            Jack stepped up behind Ianto and put his hand on Ianto’s waist, kissing his ear. Ianto leaned back against him for comfort.

            His parents watched them cautiously.

            “Is it true?” Gladys asked, looking to Jack now, as if for confirmation. “Any of it?”

            There are times when Jack knows that the truth is the most important thing and, whether it hurts or not, the truth has to be shared at these times. However, this is one of those times when the truth will bring more happiness than it does pain.

            He nodded. “Yes, ma’am, it’s all true, and so much more. I should know.” Jack squeezed Ianto’s waist and heard Ianto chuckle, as if in anticipation of what he’s going to say next. “I’m the reason why Ianto’s immortal in the first place.”

            Gladys raised her eyebrow and, in that moment, Jack finally got that neither of Ianto’s parents were all that surprised at the obvious intimacy shared between him and Ianto.

            “See Mam, Tad,” Ianto explains, “the thing about the Time Vortex is that it’s easy to pass it from person to person through . . . intimate relationships. Jack here has a piece of the Vortex in him because it was put there by someone who wanted him alive when he was dead. And, well, he gave me a piece of it to me a long time ago.”

            “Along with a whole lot more,” Jack added, grinning broadly, watching his parents squirm at the implications. Ianto blushed and then Jack added, belatedly, “Including my heart.”

            Stuart looked between the two and sighed. “So you’re Jack Harkness, then?” Jack’s eyes widened. Ianto’s father chuckled. “You think that Ianto didn’t tell us about you, all those years ago. ‘Course he didn’t say that it was serious between the two of you.”

            “Oh hush, Stuart,” Gladys said, tears filling her eyes, as she stepped towards her son. “Our baby boy’s alive. Isn’t that enough?”

            And that was that.

            Ianto entered into his mother’s embrace, hugging her tightly, before hugging his father. Moments later, Jack found himself entwined in a warm, motherly embrace.

            “Thank you,” he heard Gladys whisper, “for bringing Ianto home to us.”

            He smiled and whispered back, “Ianto brought me back, Mrs. Jones.”

            The woman laughed weakly. “If you’re going to be in a relationship with our son, Jack, you had best call me Gladys.”

            Jack was going to say something but was interrupted as three figures came walking up the front walk of the house and stopped in full view of the open door as Ianto, having heard their footsteps, turned. His eyes widened and a brightly smile crossed his face.

            “Ianto!” a young woman’s voice rang out and Jack turned in time to see Ianto stagger as a girl, who was obviously related to him, bowled into him. “You’re back!”

            “Rebecca!” Ianto exclaimed.

            That must be his other sister, Jack decided, smiling. She resembled Jack enough to be a relation, but took more after Gladys, whereas Ianto looked like Stuart. Jack looked at the other person, the tall man. He too looked like Ianto, though he had a bit more height and Gladys’ hair coloring. Rhiannon, he knew, on sight. The woman’s face split into a bright, if knowing, grin as their eyes met. She, at least, understood that Jack had something to do with Ianto’s sudden return to life, even if she didn’t know the full extent yet.

            Clearly reluctantly, Rebecca pulled out of her brother’s embrace and both turned to her other siblings.

            “Didn’t I tell you Ianto would come back, Gavin, Rhiannon,” she said pointedly. “He wasn’t dead.”

            Gavin studied his brother for a moment before smiling. “I guess I should have listened to you, little sister.”

            Jack smiled wistfully as the brothers hugged. They reminded him of the family and the brother that he had long since lost.

            As Ianto pulled out of his brother’s embrace, he bashfully looked at Rhiannon. “Did you miss me, Rhia?” he asked quietly, tentatively.

            She grinned broadly. “Of course I did, you blockhead!”

            The two laughed and embraced each other tightly, making up for their lost years.

            Moments later, Ianto was at his side, hand slipping into his and, before Jack knew it, he was being pulled into embraces by the Jones siblings.

            And three hours later, when they’ve moved into the sitting room, where Ianto explains his story, including Torchwood and some of his adventures with the Doctor, the doorbell rings yet again. Jack rose to open the door, waving Gladys back into her seat with his most charming smile.

            “Don’t worry,” he said, “if it’s who I think it is, they won’t be surprised to find me here.”

            He wasn’t wrong.

            Donna and the Doctor are wearing matching grins, though the Doctor’s borders on madman, as Wilfred Mott and Sylvia Noble stand behind them. The twins peak out up at him with quizzical eyes.

            “Ianto and his family are in the sitting room,” are all Jack managed to get out before Geoff and S.J. attach themselves to his legs. He laughed and managed to hobble-walk to the side to let the rest of the family inside, his hands around the twins.

            “Kids,” the Doctor said, eyes narrowing slightly, “what are you doing to Jack?”

            Geoff looked up at his father. “Trying to get a hug. Uncle Yan says Uncle Jack has the best hugs.”

            Jack's grin brightened. “And Uncle Yan is right. Now, if you let me go, I can give you a proper Uncle Jack hug.”

            Both oblige and he stooped down, opening his arms for them. As they threw themselves into his arms, he chuckled and picked them up, swirling them around in a circle, getting a few giggles of delight from the two.

            “What’s going on in here?” Ianto asked as he walked into the foyer. A grin had already worked its way across his face as he saw who was standing there.

            “Uncle Yan!” S.J. cried gleefully at the sight of her other uncle. The little girl wiggled her way out of Jack’s arm and bolted over to Ianto, who more than happy to scoop up the girl and hug her tightly, kissing her on the cheek.

            “How’s my favorite girl?” he asked.

            The girl in question giggled, burying her face into his shoulder. Jack smiled at the sight of that, his heart aching in the hope that, one day, it would be their child that Ianto is holding.

            Ianto looked to the rest of the people gathered in foyer.

            “Hello Doctor, Donna.” The pair greet him in return. He looks past them and smiles at Sylvia and Wilf. “So Donna dragged you along as well, I see? I should have expected no less from my sister.”

            “Oh you!” Donna exclaimed, shooting him a playful look.

            Wilf laughed. “We wanted to come. After all, Donna was raving about how excited you were to see your family again.”

            “And we brought some food, since that’s the hospitable thing to do,” Sylvia added. Jack grinned. He had to like this woman. Despite what he had heard about her from Donna, she clearly had sense, as he now saw the two large bags of food sitting at her feet. Donna obviously didn’t get all her generosity from her father.

            “Uncle Jack, I helped make the brownies!” Geoff told Jack.

            Jack looked at the boy in his arms and laughed. “Is that so? Did your mum tell you that brownies are my favorite?”

            “Come on,” Ianto said. “I’ll introduce you to my family.”

            “That’ll be lovely!”

            And so, the Jonses, the Nobles, and the TARDIS crew became one odd family over the course of a very interesting lunch.


	6. Intimate Proposals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack decides that it’s about time he and Ianto get hitched . . . for the first time. Ianto/Jack, mentions Donna/Doctor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: If I did own Torchwood, there would Janto for everyone!
> 
> WARNING: CONTAINS EXPLICIT SEXUAL CONTENT!

            The best part about having the love of your life back with you, Ianto decided, was randomly sneaking up behind said love and hugging them from behind. Well, that and the amazing kisses. And the better than amazing love-making. But still, he found he quite enjoyed sneaking up on Jack to surprise him with little signs of love and intimacy.

            He suppressed his smile as he saw Jack bent over the main console of the TARDIS, rummaging through a bag in search of something. Jack knew how to fly the TARDIS, of course, but they weren’t in flight at the moment. No, they were parked on a remote beach on a peaceful planet in a quiet corner of the galaxy. Donna and the Doctor were teaching the twins how to swim and Donna had decided that, although the TARDIS had its own swimming pool (several, in fact), there was nothing quite like swimming in a real ocean.

            Quietly, he climbed up the ladder and slid behind Jack, wrapping his arms around Jack’s waist, leaning his head against Jack’s shoulder. Ianto heard Jack rumble with delight as his hands went lower.

            “You’re giving me fun ideas, Ianto,” Jack said.

            Ianto kissed Jack’s neck through the collar of his shirt. “That _was_ the plan, Jack.”  
Jack laughed, slipping a hand behind him to grab Ianto’s ass. “Are you sure the Doctor hasn’t made you a sonic screwdriver yet, because it sure feels like you’ve got one in your pocket.”

            Only Jack could turn a simple sonic screwdriver into a sexual innuendo.

            “No, I haven’t gotten around to that yet,” Ianto replied. He sucked on Jack’s ear lobe for a moment. “Though I am happy to see you.”

            He got a hiss from Jack in return and knew, for certain, that Jack was aroused and that, very soon, they would both be naked. Ianto smiled. He had fifteen years to make up for, in addition to all the years that they still had together.

            What Ianto didn’t expect was what Jack did next.

            When Jack turned in his arms to face him, Ianto’s eyes widened at the sight of the velvet box in Jack’s hands. He knew, logically, that their first wedding would be taking place at any time. He had very subtle in hinting to Jack that they should raise the topic with his family and Donna’s family. But this!

            Jack snapped the box open. Ianto fought tears as he saw what was in the box.

            A sparkling ring sat there, clearly an engagement ring. It was a wide, white gold band with tiny diamonds set all around it. Ianto thought it was the most beautiful ring he had ever seen.

            “I love you, Ianto,” Jack said, giving him that sexy smile that he reserved only for Ianto. “I know that we’ve got years and years left to go, but I wanted our wedding – our first wedding – to be special. I wanted us to be surrounded by friends and family, by people we love and care about.” He let go of Ianto and pulled the ring out of box, setting the box down on the console. Jack lifted Ianto’s left hand and slid the ring onto the third finger of his hand. It was a perfect fit. “Ianto Jones, will you marry me?”

            Ianto fought back tears as he nodded. “Of course I’ll marry you, Jack.” Jack’s grin was bright and happy as he moved in to kiss him, but Ianto held up a finger to Jack’s lips, stopping him. “But you have to agree to one thing first.”

            Jack, being Jack, kissed his finger before answering. “And what’s that.”  
            Another good thing about having the love of your life with you is being able to raise the stakes on surprises at a moment’s notice. It was a good thing that Ianto was always prepared.

            He got down on one knee and pulled a velvet box of his own out of his pocket. The look on Jack’s face when Ianto opened the box was nothing short of wonderful. The engagement ring that Ianto had picked for Jack was a bright yellow gold with little sapphires and emeralds set into the band.

            “Jack Harkness, marry me?”

            Once Jack recovered enough sense, picked his jaw up off of the floor, and processed what was in front of him, he was crying and smiling. “Ianto, I would positively love to marry you.”

            It was so wonderful to slide his ring onto Jack’s finger. Once again, Ianto was so glad that he had inherited his father’s ability to size up a man’s measurements with only one look. Even if he didn’t already have an intimate knowledge of Jack’s body (which he did), that skill made ring shopping for Jack so much easier, but, regardless, none of that mattered right now.

            All that did matter was that Jack was giving him a look that meant one thing, and one thing only.

            Ianto sure as hell better get out of his clothing because Jack wanted to christen their new rings in the best way that Jack knew how. But, since Ianto knew Jack so well, he wasn’t going to make it easy for Jack. The American immortal was going to have to work for it.

            Plus the Doctor and Donna could come back in at any time and Ianto did not want to traumatize his niece and nephew any more than he had to. Sex with Jack, while amazing and mind-blowing, was not appropriate for the eyes of young Time Lords and Ladies.

            Before Jack even had Ianto’s tie loosened, Ianto was on his feet and darting out of the control room.

            “You tease!” Jack called after him. Ianto grinned madly.

            The TARDIS seemed to be working for him today because it was very easy to find his way to their room. Ianto stripped off his clothing as he ran, tossing them to the side. If his great plan was going to come to fruition, he was going to have to rely on the TARDIS to hide his discarded clothing and Jack’s own self-control with peeling off his own clothing on the way  to their room (which would have gone out the window if he saw Ianto’s clothes scattered about).

            He pushed open the door to their room as he stripped out of his boxers and dove into their bed, pulling the covers up over his waist.

            Not a few seconds later, once he was fully settled (all thanks to the TARDIS for that one), Jack madly dashed into the room, still (thankfully) fully clothed. Jack skidded to a full stop and stared at Ianto, laying in their bed, under the covers, obviously naked, wearing only the ring that Jack had, moments before, put on his finger. The lazy smile that crossed Jack’s face was nothing short of pure sexuality in its finest.

            Jack climbed onto the bed and slowly, oh so slowly, made his way until he was on top of Ianto, his hands on Ianto’s shoulders. Gently, Jack kissed him. Ianto opened his mouth and let Jack’s tongue enter, exploring his mouth. Ianto began unbuttoning Jack’s shirt, a button at a time, enjoying the process.

            By the time Jack’s undershirt was showing, Jack pulled back and gave him a deep look.

            “You’re not getting off so easily, Ianto.”

            Ianto raised an eyebrow. “How so?”

            Jack didn’t say anything. He merely pulled the blanket off of Ianto, exposing his growing erection. The American briefly sucked on Ianto’s neck before licking his way down his chest and stomach until he reached Ianto’s cock. Teasingly, he licked the tip, causing Ianto to moan.

            And then Jack proceeded to give Ianto a truly amazing blow-job, bringing him to a long and deeply satisfying release .

            When Ianto finally came down from the post-orgasm cloud he had been riding on, Jack had managed to strip off the rest of his clothes and was stretched out next to Ianto, kissing and sucking on Ianto’s neck. And Ianto could feel Jack’s own erection against his leg, which only made him harden again.

            “Eager, aren’t you?” Jack purred into his ear.

            He turned his head and kissed Jack on the lips, cupping his face. “You know I am, especially when you’re involved.” Ianto kissed him again.

            Fueled by Jack’s momentary distraction, Ianto rolled them over so that he was on top of Jack. That earned him a heated look through half-lidded eyes and a grin on slightly swollen lips.

            Not for the first time, Ianto was glad for his semi-telepathic link to the TARDIS, because he didn’t have to grope around very long to find the lube. Mere moments later, he had slicked his fingers and was sliding said fingers in and out of Jack’s hole. After a few minutes of that treatment, when Jack had gotten close enough to the edge to be riding in pre-orgasm bliss, Ianto pulled his fingers out.

            Jack gave him a very hot, very horny, very bothered look.

            “Why did you stop?”

            Ianto smiled and replaced his cock where his fingers had just been. After a moment, he slowly began thrusting in. Jack groaned in delight. Ianto had his hands on Jack’s hips as Jack clamped his legs around Ianto’s waist.

            Thrusting in and out, slowly at first, Ianto teased Jack but he knew that he never did have the heart to deny Jack his love. Jack’s walls clamped tight around Ianto’s cock as he pumped in and out. Jack pulled Ianto down and kissed him heartily. They moved together in a rhythm that neither one quite controlled.

            Finally, Jack came, bringing Ianto with him a few seconds after and, as Ianto filled Jack, the two immortals called each other’s name.

            Worn, Ianto collapsed on top of Jack, his cock still in his lover. Jack’s arms looped around him, holding him tight against his chest. Skilled fingers traced circles on Ianto’s arms and Jack hummed his content quietly.

            “That’s a good way to celebrate,” Jack decided, after a while.

            “I couldn’t agree more.”

            Jack kissed Ianto’s cheek before extending his hand to admire, really admire, the ring that Ianto had chosen for him. Ianto looked down at his own hand and felt a wave of happiness settle upon him at the sight of Jack’s own ring on his hand.

            “So when were you thinking about having the wedding?” Ianto asked finally.

            The smile that came quickly to Jack’s face should have been his first clue as to what Jack had been planning. “Babe, we have all the time in the world.”

            Ianto returned Jack’s smile with one of his own.

            “You know Donna’s been planning our wedding since she came back, right?”

            Jack laughed. “Like I would expect any less from her?”


	7. Love Lifts Us Where We Belong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ianto and Jack’s first wedding was an event to remember, especially since it’s their first wedding. Ianto/Jack, Doctor/Donna.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Sorry guys, I don’t own Torchwood or Doctor Who. If I did, I wouldn’t have to write this. Because Ianto would still be alive.

            Music faintly met Ianto’s ears, spilling in through the open window from outside. He suppressed his grin – barely – as he twirled his engagement ring around on his finger. He was just so happy.

            It was finally here, the day that he had been waiting for and long for, for so long was here. Fifteen years of traveling with the Doctor and he was counting the minutes until the ceremony started. Today was the day!

            Today, he and Jack were pledging themselves to each other, in front of their family and friends. They were getting married . . . the first of many weddings that he hoped to share with Jack. But this one, this one would be special to Ianto because it marked a beginning, the beginning of their eternal, immortal lives together.

            The reception would last for a long time, well into the night, Ianto was sure, not that he and Jack would be there for the whole time. Knowing Jack, they would be slipping off several times for private moments before the big official send-off, at which point Ianto fully planned on keeping Jack all to himself for a very long time. 

            “Ianto!”

            He snapped out of his very happy thoughts at the sound of his sister’s voice. Ianto looked at Rebecca, blushing a tiny bit.

            “Yeah, Rebecca?”  
            Rebecca stopped and looked at him, studying him. “You were thinking about Jack, weren’t you?” All he could do was nod. “God, you two are insatiable.”

            “Well yeah, do you expect anything less from a pair of immortals who have forever to be together?” His sister’s shudder was very rewarding. Come to think of it, his whole family was still squeamish about the number of sexual innuendos that Jack dropped into a normal conversation. He reached over and patted her shoulder. “So, what did you want to say, Becca?”

            “Oh,” the younger Jones replied, “Donna said that it’s time for the ceremony! Yan, you’re getting married.”

            “Yes I am!”

            The sister and brother linked arms as they walked out into the hallway. Ianto smiled as he saw Gavin waiting for him. His older brother, while not in the wedding, was more than happy to act as watch-guard before the ceremony. Gavin was on Donna’s orders to make sure that Jack didn’t try to sneak in to have sex with Ianto before the wedding or vice versa. Rhiannon had been sent to make sure that Jack didn’t slip past the Doctor’s watch (since the Doctor had a tendency to wander mentally and miss things). Plus, it gave Rhia more time to grill Jack, since she decided to be the over-protective (and slightly over-bearing, in Ianto’s opinion) sister.

            Since Ianto had “returned” from the dead and reunited with his family, his siblings had had interesting reactions to his new state. Rebecca had been very excited to hear all about his adventures. She hadn’t been too bothered by the fact that he had been dead and absolutely adored Jack as another brother Gavin, like their sister, had been fine with Ianto’s resurrection. It was Jack that Gavin had a problem with. Apparently, Jack wasn’t good enough for Ianto, in Gavin’s mind. It had taken a very long heart-to-heart to bring Gavin around. Rhiannon, for her part, had started laughing at the mere thought of the Vortex being transferred between the two of them via sex, a sentiment that was only further hit home when Donna gave her “shagged into immortality line.”

            “Let’s go get you hitched to that American of yours,” Gavin said, grinning to his brother.

            It only took a matter of minutes to reach the site of the ceremony. Ianto was extremely grateful that Donna had helped plan the whole thing. She really was the “Super temp.” From what he could see, the pavilion that was the centerpiece was beautiful, decorated as it was with flowers. He and Jack would exchange their vows there and legally be married. Later, during the reception it would be transformed into the dance floor.

            Gavin and Rebecca left him, at one arch, giving him warm hugs (and a kiss from Rebecca) before going to sit with the rest of the family. Ianto could see Gavin’s wife and young son near the aisle. Rebecca’s boyfriend smiled brightly at her as she settled next to him. Rhiannon slipped in with the rest of the family, having been formally relieved of her duty of Jack-watching. She waved at him and blew an encouraging kiss.

            Then, all of a sudden, he was nervous, really nervous.

            Anxiously, he straightened his tie. Why did Donna insist that they both wear tuxedos again?

            “Oh stop that!”

            The woman in question came bustling into view, her red hair tied up elegantly into a simple, bun up-do. Her navy blue best lady’s dress swished around her. Ianto had to grin. He had asked her to stand at his side during the wedding, just as Jack had asked the Doctor to do the same, as his best man. Neither Ianto nor Donna particularly cared for ‘matron of honor,’ so Ianto had started calling her his ‘best lady’ instead and the title just stuck.

            “What?”

            “You’re fidgeting,” she said. He bowed his head briefly. She reached up and pinned the blue rose to his lapel. “Just so you know, Jack’s doing the same thing to.”

            “Really?” That made him feel a little better.

            Donna nodded. “Yep. Watching the Doctor try and calm him down is entertaining though.”

            Ianto could only imagine the conversation those two were having.

            He smiled. “It’s time, Donna.”

            She gave him a critical look before nodding. “Yes it is.”

            Just as those words cleared her mouth, music swelled. The group that gathered to witness the occasion rose. Ianto cast a look around. He saw his family and Donna’s family. He saw the twins sitting between their grandmother and great-grandfather. He saw Mickey and Martha. Martha was pregnant with their first child and just starting to show. He saw Sarah Jane Smith’s adopted son, Luke, back from university, K-9 at his side. He saw Gwen and Rhys, the Welshman holding Anwen up so the little girl could see. He saw so many faces of friends he had made through the years. All of those people who had thought he was dead and had come to his wedding had been so surprised when he quietly reemerged, appearing regularly at his parents’ house.

            But Ianto didn’t focus on them much longer because his attention was focused on the vicar standing at the center of the pavilion and, beyond him, the Doctor, who was blocking his view of Jack.

            Ianto had to smile.

            He and Jack had decided to forgo a church wedding for now. There would be time enough for that later. Instead, they had arranged the wedding in a circular fashion, around the pavilion, with everyone facing inwards. It was all-inclusive that way. And, as Donna pointed out, there would be no aisle to walk down, simply a meeting at the center of the pavilion.

            The Doctor had said that, on a large number of planets, this was how weddings took place.

            At a signal from the vicar, Donna stepped up onto the wooden floor of the pavilion, glancing briefly at Ianto. There was a broad smile on her face. She had a small bouquet of white roses surrounded by forget-me-nots in her hands. Then, in perfect time with the Doctor, she walked into the center of the pavilion.

            Ianto saw Jack.

            His breath was taken away.

            Jack was as handsome as ever. His tux was simple and classic, a single breasted jacket completing the ensemble. The only color breaking the black and white of his outfit was the dark blue of his bowtie (a match to the lighter blue of Ianto’s bowtie), the blue rose pinned to his own lapel, and the precious stones set in his engagement ring.

            There was a dazzling smile on his face and Ianto knew that it was all to do with him.

            No one walked Jack or Ianto to the vicar. No one needed to. This was a day long in the making and the fact that they both were able to walk to their wedding ceremony on their own power was as statement of their strength of will and their love for one another.

            Finally, they reached the vicar. The music quieted. Jack reached out and took Ianto’s hands in his, squeezing them tightly.

            “Dearly beloved,” the vicar began, “we are gathered here today to witness the joining of two hearts and two lives. Ianto Jones and Jack Harkness have walked hard roads but they have come here today to recognize what they have together and what they will share for the rest of eternity. I have been told that, for a time, Ianto had to go into the silent protection of a friend, for his safety and the safety of Jack. Yet, through that, their love endured and grew. As we can all see today, there is no greater love shared than the love between these two men.” Ianto grinned at Jack. “I had the opportunity to sit down to talk to them, to hear what they wanted for this ceremony and their words astounded me. They have been through more than any of us can imagine and they still have the ability to love.”

            Jack chuckled and Ianto smiled. That afternoon was burned vividly into his mind. It had been a difficult task, keeping Jack’s mind as far out of the proverbial gutter as possible, though Ianto had managed the task.

            The vicar gave them a small smile. “Sometimes, actions speak louder than words, but today, words have a great power. I know that Jack and Ianto have written their own vows, so I will let them share them.”

            Ianto started, “Jack, when I first met you, I didn’t know what to think. You were a whirlwind of actions and emotions. You challenged me, made me think about the kind of man I was and made me think about what I really wanted in life. Well, now I know what I want from this life, and that thing is you. It won‘t be easy, I know that, but I also know that you’ll be there, at my side, every step of the way. You’re the man I love and my soul-mate. As long as I have you, I know that I can face anything. I love you, Jack Harkness. You’re my everything.”

Jack’s hands were trembling in his. Ianto laced his fingers through Jack’s, brushing a finger lightly against Jack’s engagement ring.

            It was Jack’s turn. There was a look of pure love in his eyes.

            “Ianto, I love you, more than anything or anyone. You steady me. You keep me in check. You’re the most honest and most caring person I know. If it wasn’t for you, I don’t know what I would do. I want to wake up every morning with you at my side. There’s something so undeniable about what you make me feel. I never believed that I could find someone who loved me for me, but you proved me wrong. Ianto Jones, I love you more than you’ll ever now and I can promise you right now, that I’ll tell you that I love you, every single day we have together.”

            There wasn’t a dry eye present. Ianto found himself struggling to keep the tears in. Jack had created something beautiful with his words and he could feel the love pouring out of the man in front of him. Ianto squeezed Jack’s fingers in a way that let him know that he understood and reciprocated the sentiment.

            “After that, what more can be said,” the vicar said quietly, steadily. “Ianto, Jack, do you have the rings you wish to give to one another.”

            Both nodded. Ianto turned to Donna, who handed him the simple wedding ring that was a match to Jack’s engagement ring. Out of the corner of his eyes, Ianto saw Jack make the same movement to the Doctor.

            With promptings from the vicar, they promised to love and cherish one another, through the good times and the bad, in sickness and in health, all the days of their lives. Then, carefully, they slid the rings onto the other’s finger, first Ianto, then Jack.

            Jack restrained himself long enough for the vicar to pronounce them married and that they may kiss before he claimed Ianto’s lips with his. It was a long, slow kiss, filled with all of the unspoken words, unseen emotions, and unshed tears that they had. But, most importantly, it was full of love.

            Ianto slid his arms around Jack, pulling him close to his chest. Jack’s hands found his shoulders and neck as Ianto deepened the kiss a little further.

            It was only when a few wolf-whistles cut through the air, courtesy of Mickey, that the two finally broke apart, wearing matching happy grins.

            The music struck up again as they joined hands and walked out to meet their guests as an official married couple. Ianto found that he could not suppress his grin throughout the entire reception because, everywhere he turned, he saw Jack and the love he felt for his new husband was far too great to be denied.

            Given the nature of both men, the reception was just as simple as the wedding was.

            Only Donna and the Doctor gave speeches, brief as they were, affirming what was shared during the wedding. Dinner was a light fare, done buffet style since Jack was a big advocate that people should only eat what they wanted.

            Their wedding cake was a work of beauty though, courtesy a stroke of genius on Ianto’s part, with plans kept a secret from Jack for as long as possible. It was four layers of dark chocolate goodness, iced in a light blueberry-flavored icing. Ianto knew that, somewhere in the deep recesses of Jack’s mind, the American immortal was thinking about all of the different ways that icing could be licked off of a body. Ianto had gone there as well and had blushed because he knew exactly where the left-over icing was stored.

            It was going to be a fun honeymoon.

            But Ianto was kept squarely in reality by the antics of his adopted family, the group that occupied the TARDIS, namely Jack and the Doctor.

            As soon as they had cut the cake and fed each other a few pieces (which was very arousing, in and of itself, with Jack sucking the last bits of icing off of Ianto’s fingers), Jack looked over to the Doctor and called:

            “Hey, Doctor.”

            “Yeah?” The Doctor looked up at him, eyes bright, head tilted to the side.

            “We’ve got cake!”

            The Doctor raised his hands over his head and cheered a loud, “Woohoo!”

            Shortly thereafter, Ianto and Jack danced their first dance as a married couple to “Falling Slowly.”

            Ianto buried his face into Jack’s shoulder, sighing happily.

            “Are you happy, Yan?” Jack asked, quietly.

            He smiled. “Very much so. Are you, Jack?”

            “More than anything.” Jack stole a quick kiss from Ianto before asking, “You know what weddings mean right?”

            Raising an eyebrow, Ianto had to ask, “What?”

            “Presents!”

            Of course. Only Jack would get so gleefully excited about that. Still, as their eyes met, Ianto knew that there was so much more there.

            And Jack always knew how to make an event memorable.

            Hours later, once they were both properly satiated, as Jack held him in his arms as they were dozing off to sleep, Ianto smiled. He tightened his hold on Jack’s waist a little bit, snuggling into his shoulder some more. Jack’s fingers traced circles on his arms.

            “I love you, Ianto,” Jack whispered quietly.

            “I love you too, Jack.”

            It was official. They were married.


	8. Dreams of Little Children

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ianto observes Jack with the Doctor and Donna’s kids and that leads to a heart-to-heart conversation. Ianto/Jack. Doctor/Donna.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Clearly, I don’t own Torchwood.

            Ianto heard Jack’s voice before he saw him. Jack’s voice had a distinct tone about it. It only got to _that_ octave when Jack was either telling a story or having sex. Since they were clearly not having sex, it was safe to say that Geoff and S.J. were getting a very good bedtime story.

            Donna and the Doctor had gone out for a quiet dinner in a small village on the northern continent of Thyrion 5, leaving Jack and Ianto to baby-sit the twins. Jack had been very excited at the prospect, since being the uncle of the children of a Time Lord was still new to him. Plus, he straight up loved his niece and nephew so much and was enjoying the large amount of attention that both gave him. The naturally out-going man fit right in, matching the boisterous Geoff’s energy and drawing the normally more reserved and shy S.J. out of her shell.

            As he turned a corner, the Welshman paused. He leaned against the doorframe to the twin’s room. The twins were sitting on S.J’s bed, staring at Jack with wide eyes and bated breath as Jack was acting out some fight he had had with an evil alien overlord. Normally, it was Ianto who told the bedtime stories, especially when the Doctor and Donna were out. The TARDIS was much of a story-teller and the old girl liked to listen in. But Ianto wasn’t going to grumble about this. Jack was clearly having too much fun and it was nice to see the twins so taken with the (relatively) new uncle.

            He didn’t listen to Jack’s story. Instead, he watched the faces of his niece and nephew as they watched Jack. The two were entranced. Honestly, Ianto didn’t blame them. Jack had that quality about him, especially when he was telling a story. The two children giggled as Jack dramatically fell to the floor, pretending to be shot.

            “Ianto!” Jack cried, arms flopped out on either side of him, “You have to save me!”

            Suppressing the urge to roll his eyes, Ianto replied, “And how might I do that, Jack?”

            “Only your kiss can reverse the effects of the evil, dread pirate’s poison.”

            “Uncle Yan, you have to save Uncle Jack!” Geoff said, with a completely straight face. “Or else he’ll die.”

            “Yeah, Yan, I’ll die.”

            Jack was just fishing for a kiss, Ianto knew. The pout on his lips was drop-dead sexy, not that Jack would ever show that to the twins. That look was reserved for Ianto alone. Still, if Jack wanted to give the kids an overdramatic show before bedtime, then Ianto was not going to deny him that opportunity.

            Besides, seeing Jack beg like that was very entertaining.

            Striding into the room, a confident grin on his face, Ianto gave a big, showy sigh. The twins were struggling to hide their laughter. Jack gave the two a very sad, hurt look, as if they had betrayed him in some way.

            Ianto crouched down next to Jack and cupped his hands around his husband’s face. Gently, he gave Jack a quick kiss on the lips.

            “Please don’t die, Jack. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

            When Ianto pulled back, he saw that Jack was grinning at him. There was no sexual innuendo under the surface, just simple love and adoration in his eyes.

            Quietly, S.J. giggled, drawing both of their attention back to the task at hand. “Are you going to live happily ever after now, Uncle Jack? Now that you’ve got a kiss from your knight in shining armor?”

            Trust a six-year-old girl (even a six-year-old Time Lady) to manage to put Jack into is place without really trying.

            “Well, that all depends on if your Uncle Ianto is okay with being the knight in shining armor, S.J.” Jack replied. He looked back up at his husband. “Because, if he wasn’t, I guess I would have to save him then.”

            Ianto pulled Jack up into a seated position, wrapping an arm around him. “Don’t worry, S.J. Jack isn’t going to be getting rid of me anytime soon.”

            “Good!” the little girl replied as she barely stifled a huge yawn. Geoff, next to her, mirrored her yawn, oddly quiet in his exhaustion. Even young Time Lords and Ladies got tired, despite the claims of their father.

            Jack looked at his watch and then back to the two children.

            “Alright you two, it’s past your bedtime.” He pulled himself up off the floor (reluctantly) and crossed to S.J.’s bed. “I won’t tell your parents that you were up so late if you won’t.” The two shook their heads wearily. “Good, now it’s time for you two to get some sleep. Your mum and dad will be upset if you fall asleep during your TARDIS lessons tomorrow.”

            Geoff climbed down from his sister’s bed and crossed the room to his side. Moments later, he was under the covers, holding the stuffed animal cat that he had had since he was a baby. Ianto smiled at that sight. He had been the one to get the twins their first stuffed animals – a cat for Geoff and an owl for S.J., since everyone else would have gotten teddy bears for them and the twins weren’t normal children.

            Ianto was silent as he watched Jack tuck in S.J. first, kissing the top of her head as she yawned again, burying herself under her covers. Then, he crossed the room and repeated the process with Geoff.

            Once satisfied that the twins were safely in bed, Jack came to Ianto’s side, taking his hand.

            Quietly, the two left the room, the lights dimming behind them automatically.

            In the hall, Jack slipped a hand around Ianto’s waist. Ianto leaned his head against Jack’s shoulder and they began the slow walk back up to the control room.

            “You were good with the twins tonight,” Ianto commented, after a few moments.

            “Well, they’re good kids, easy to get along with,” Jack replied. “They don’t really mind that I have weird stories.”

            Ianto laughed, rolling his eyes. “This is a weird place, Jack. They’ve grown up with weird.” The TARDIS flicked her lights at that comment. “Oh, sorry about that one, girl. You know I didn’t mean it.”

            “It still seems weird to me that you talk to the TARDIS and she seems to talk back.”

            “Mm, well I suppose I am more in touch with the Time Vortex that’s inside of me than you are, Jack.” Ianto did like baiting his husband sometimes. It was so much fun.

            Jack kissed his ear. “Or you’re just naturally sweet, caring, and sensitive.”

            “Which is what you love about me,” Ianto replied, dryly.

            “Among other things.” Jack’s hand went a little further south, but only stopped with Ianto took it and squeezed.

            “Not until the Doctor and Donna get back. We don’t want the twins walking in on anything.”

            “Why do you have to be so practical sometimes?” Jack asked.

            That was an easy answer. “Because everyone knows that you’re definitely not the practical one in this marriage.”

            Jack’s laugh was hearty as they reached the control room.

            The couple settled themselves in on the large, comfortable couch that Ianto had installed at the edge of the deck about two years after he started traveling with the Doctor. It was far more comfortable to sit there than anywhere else in the control room when the Doctor was flying the TARDIS. Even though he had three sets of hands (and three people who knew how to fly the TARDIS), the Doctor still liked to run around like a chicken with its head cut off, flying his beloved time machine/space ship.

            Still, as he snuggled next to Jack, Ianto couldn’t help but think about Jack and the twins. Seeing him with them had stirred something inside of him, something that made him realize what exactly he longed for and hoped for.

            “Do you ever think we’ll have children, Jack?” he asked, tentatively.

            Jack looked at him, or at least Ianto thought that Jack was looking at him. He couldn’t quite meet Jack’s eyes.

            “Of course we will. What made you ask that?” Ianto bit his lip nervously. “Ianto?”  
            He sighed. “It’s nothing, Jack. I was just thinking out loud.”  
            Tenderly, Jack’s fingers found his chin and tilted it up so that their eyes were meeting. Ianto saw the look, that forceful and determined look that so defined Jack as a person, in his husband’s eyes and he knew that Jack had meant what he said, one hundred percent. When Jack committed to something, he went all of the way.

            “Ianto, we will have a family,” Jack stated, as a point of fact. “One day, we will have children together because every single time I see you with the twins, I feel like that it should be our child you’re holding, or cleaning up after, or picking up when they cry. There’s a hole in our lives right now, one that we’ll just have to bear with for the time being because we haven’t met our kid yet, but one day we will. And, on that day, that hole will be gone, filled.” Jack smiled and pecked his lips. “So yes, Ianto, we will have kids.”

            He didn’t bother to hide his smile as he gently kissed Jack on the lips.

            Jack held him tightly against his chest.

            One day, Ianto thought to himself, one day it would their children that Jack would be telling bedtime stories. One day, Ianto could be the knight in shining armor, come to “save” Jack from his numerous problems with a kiss when his stories got too complicated.

            And, as Ianto drifted off to sleep, he heard Jack whisper, in his ear, “One day, you’ll make a great father, Ianto.”

            Hours later, when the Doctor and Donna returned to the TARDIS, they found Jack and Ianto curled up against one another on the couch, dead asleep.

            Donna made a move to wake them up, but the Doctor stopped her. There was a knowing smile on the Time Lord’s face as he led his wife out of the control room to go check on their children.

            He might not have to hear the words, but the Doctor knew that they would be great parents one day.

            After all, the TARDIS had told him that Jack was a great story-teller.


	9. With Death, Comes Heartbreak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ianto is dying and Jack hates it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Yeah, I don’t own anything.

            It had started out so easy. There was a planet that was drifting (slowly) away from its sun and the population of the planet had, in an attempt to resolve the problems, create a nuclear reactor to take the place of the sun. The Doctor, being the Time Lord that he was, had thought that it was a bad idea, especially since the reactor was becoming increasingly unstable, which was causing more problems than it was solving.

            As a result, the TARDIS crew had to scramble to fix the problem (which they did, successfully). No one had died and Donna was in the process of figuring out to stabilize the planet’s orbit of the sun so that it won’t drift any more than it should ordinarily.

            Or so they thought.

            Ianto was down finishing shutting down the reactor. Jack smiled at the mere thought of his husband. As soon as they were off this nutty planet, he was taking Ianto out on a much-deserved date, where they would go for dinner and dancing and all the romance that followed.

All of a sudden, an explosion rocked the base and massive alarms went off. Jack scrambled for a monitor to see what happened. It was bad. The logical part of his brain knew what the blaring sirens meant. There had been some kind of melt-down and poisonous radiation was spilling out of the reactor. Security measures were in place to save as many people as possible, which would not have bothered him, if Ianto wasn’t at the focal point of the radiation blast.

            Jack dropped what he was doing and bolted for Ianto. His husband was going to die and Jack refused to let him die alone. Ianto would be so pissed off at him.

            The Doctor was running behind him, calling things out at a rapid pace. Concerned logic filled Jack and he skidded to a stop, causing the Time Lord behind to pause as well, a confused look on his face.

            “Doctor, you can’t go down there,” Jack said, in a rush. “You’ll die, regenerate. I won’t let you lose another regeneration for a friend, even if it’s for Ianto, not when you have a family.”

            “Don’t worry about me, Jack.” There was appreciation in his voice. “The radiation’s already being vented. This base was well-constructed, even if for all of the wrong reasons. I’ll be fine.” The Doctor drew a sharp breath. “It’s Ianto we have to be worried about.”

            Jack’s breathing was ragged as he nodded, now voiceless.

            Moments later, they came running into the lab, only to find a thick plexiglas panel separating the reactor from the rest of the base. The Doctor cooed for a moment and began listen all of the benefits of said panel. It was ingenious apparently, designed to keep radiation particles from spreading and causing damage. But Jack didn’t hear the Doctor.

            He only saw Ianto leaning hace against the panel, face contorted in an expression of immense pain. Ianto’s side was bleeding, a long gash that would no doubt leave a scar.

And Ianto was on the wrong side of the panel.

            “Ianto,” Jack cried, throat closing as he felt tears spring to his eyes.

            His husband’s head rose and their eyes met. Jack saw the tears running down Ianto’s face. Ianto knew what was going on. It was hard not to.

            Jack took a step towards the glass. A hot tear slid down his cheek as he reached out a hand to the panel. Ianto turned to face him dropping his bloody hand from his side. Jack noted, very briefly, how disheveled Ianto was. Normally, even in the face of danger, Ianto almost never unbuttoned his waistcoat.

            Today, it was strangely missing and Jack knew that Ianto had put on a waistcoat that morning when they had gotten dressed.

            “Ianto,” he repeated. The tears came freely now.

            His lover and husband smiled freely. “Hey Jack.” There was a tone of resignation in Ianto’s voice that Jack didn’t like.

            “You’re – you’re . . .” Jack couldn’t bring himself to say it.

            “I’m dying, Jack. I know it.”

                Jack’s heart broke. Memories of holding Ianto in his arms as he died flashed across his mind. It had been hard the first time. This time . . . Jack struggled to bite back the tears. He pressed his hand against the panel.

            “We’re getting you out of there before that happens.”

            Behind him, the Doctor hissed. “Jack . . .”

            “You won’t be able to, Jack.” Ianto gave him a little smile, laying his hand on the panel, directly opposite of where Jack’s was. “I know what’s going on here. The radiation is still too strong on my side. Even if you got me out, the whole base would be flooded. Think about all the people who would die. Think about Donna, the Doctor, the twins. You have to wait until the radiation clears before you can release the panel.”

            Ianto was right. He usually was in these situations. Jack didn’t like it.

            “How long will that take?” The question was more directed at the Doctor than at Ianto, though Jack knew that Ianto knew the answer to that question as well.

            “Years, at best.”

            That hurt, worse than anything else, even Ianto’s first death.

            “I only just got you back, Yan.” Tears slid down Jack’s face. He saw how Ianto’s engagement ring sparkled in the light, matching the quieter beauty of his wedding ring. Jack loved that sight. “I don’t want to lose you so soon.”

            Ianto hushed him before wincing in pain, falling to his knees. The radiation was moving quick and Ianto was already weak from his injury. “We still have all the time in the universe, Jack. This is only a minor setback. We’ll be together again soon enough.”

            “Yan, please, don’t talk like that.” Jack was desperate. He had to keep Ianto’s spirits up. “We’ve got the Doctor. He’ll figure something out.”

            “Jack, don’t do that to the Doctor. For me, don’t do that to him.”

            He was sounding so much weaker with each passing moment. Jack kept himself at Ianto’s level, in plain sight of his dying husband. Even as immortals, it still hurt to see the man Jack loved and had pledged himself to for all eternity sacrificing his life because he loved his family and Jack too much.

            The Doctor was scrambling with the controls but, after minutes of trying, while Ianto was slowly slipping away, Jack heard the Time Lord stop. He wanted to scream, cry, demand that the Doctor keep trying and save Ianto. Because Jack couldn’t bear to be apart from Ianto for the time it took to clear the radiation. He couldn’t live, watching Ianto die and come back to life, only to die again as the radiation ate away at his health and life.

            “Jack, I’m sorry,” the Doctor said, mournfully. “There’s nothing I can do right now. I don’t have the resources.”

            “Doctor, save it.” Jack kept his eyes on the Welshman in front of him. Ianto was shaking. He was so pale. “Yan, listen to me. We’ll get you out of there, I promise you. You just have to hold on. You’re strong. You’ve survived worse. The twins have years and years of bedtime stories from you.” Ianto looked at him and smiled, vaguely. “Yan, please, I love you so much.”

            “I love you too, Jack. Remember that.”

            “Please, Ianto! Don’t go.”

            But it was too late. Ianto was gone.

            A horrible, terrible scream ripped through Jack’s throat. Ianto was dead and he was just as powerless to save him as he had been before. It was the Thames House and the 456s all over again. Jack sobbed, hands pressed against the panel.

            Another explosion ripped through the reactor, sending Ianto’s body hurtling away from the panel. Jack fell back as the shock of the blast rattled across the room.

            He was only vaguely aware of the Doctor behind him, bent over the controls. The Time Lord was unsure of what tell him and Jack didn’t blame the man. They were in an odd position, he and Ianto. Moments later, hurried footsteps echoed through the halls.

            Donna ran into the room, a few of the planet’s scientists hot on her heels. Jack turned to face her, just a bit. Her face fell as she saw the tears fall down his cheeks and the expression on his eyes. She looked to the reactor, through the panel, and the outline of Ianto’s crumpled body. She looked back to Jack and Jack knew that she understood.

            Tears formed in her eyes at the depth of the situation.

            “Jack,” she whispered, taking a step towards him. His lips quivered as he tried to control his emotions, but he failed. Donna knelt down and hugged him tightly. “We’ll get him out.”

            Coughing met their ears. Jack turned, eyes wide, back to the reactor. Ianto was weakly pulling himself up from the ground, very much alive. The scientists were all murmuring in surprise, aware that Ianto had been dead, that no being in the universe could survive that much exposure to radiation.

            Jack scrambled over to his side of the panel, staring at his husband.

            “Ianto!” he called. “Ianto, are you alright?”

            Ianto turned to him, weak smile still on his face. “I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck.”

            “We’re getting you out of there, I promise.”

            “Jack, don’t make promises you can’t keep.” Ianto’s voice was stern, reflecting the harshness of the situation. “I know the numbers. I won’t be getting out of here for years to come, if I’m lucky.”

            It hurt Jack so much to see Ianto so grim. That wasn’t like his Ianto, to be so defeated.

            Then, from behind him, Jack heard Donna’s voice.

            “Unless . . . yes, that’ll do it!”

            He turned, very briefly, to see Donna, a look of wild glee on her face, pushing her husband to the side, taking the controls. Her fingers flew wildly over buttons and knobs. The Doctor looked over her shoulder, watching what she was doing, studying the patterns her hands took. After a minute, he too was grinning.

            The Doctor kissed Donna’s cheek.

            “You are brilliant, Donna Noble. Why didn’t I think of that?”  
            “Because you’re not flexible enough in how you think about these kinds of things.”

            Under normal circumstances, Jack would have had a field day with that statement, but he wasn’t really in the mood for that at the moment. All that mattered was that Donna had come up with some idea to save Ianto and the Doctor was on board with it. Jack turned back to Ianto, a smile on his lips.

            “You hear that, Yan. They’re saving you.”

            “Good to hear.” Ianto winced, pressing a hand to his side. Jack grimaced. He saw the blood still seeping out of the wound on Ianto’s side. “Seems like the radiation is slowing my healing process.”  
            “Hang on, Ianto.” Jack was hopeful now.

            Exactly three minutes and nineteen seconds later, Donna’s solution came into full effect, just as Ianto was shaking again and showing signs of succumbing to the effects of the radiation.

            “Isolating the radiation particles,” the red-head said, her voice triumphant. “Activate the transportation beam, now!”

            Bright lights filled the room and Jack heard the distinct sound of the TARDIS’s klaxons going as the room was cleared of all harmful radiation particles.

            “Doctor? Donna?” His voice was full of questions, even as he kept his eyes on Ianto.

            “Donna figured out an algorithm to isolate all harmful particles and transport them to a remote sun that actually likes those kinds of particles. The TARDIS helped us by providing a transport.”

            Jack turned back to the panel as it rose, the harmful effects that it was designed to protect against gone. Ianto was pale. He ran to Ianto and caught him, just as Ianto’s knees were about to give out.

            He held Ianto in his arms, burying his face into the side of his neck. Ianto was shaking in his arms.

            “Please don’t do that to me again, Yan,” Jack whispered into his ear

            Seconds – minutes – hours later, Ianto steadied enough so that they could walk out of that God-forsaken room and back to the TARDIS. Donna and the Doctor flanked them, serving as an honor guard against the scowls and looks of the people on base. Neither the Time Lord nor his Lady were particularly happy now with what had happened to Ianto and the emotional strain that it had placed on the two immortals.

            Finally, the TARDIS came into sight, reliable and full of strength.

            Jack guided a still weak and shell-shocked Ianto inside, where the twins greeted them. The odd sense that children had made the two more sympathetic and they gave Ianto giant, wordless hugs, before letting Jack guide him out of the control room and back to their room.

            As they lay down on the bed, Ianto began crying.

            “Hey,” Jack said, cupping his face, brushing away the tears with a thumb. “it’s okay. You’re safe now.”

            “Jack, I died.”

            “I know you did.” He kissed Ianto’s cheek. “But you’re safe now and I won’t let you go.”

            Ianto opened his mouth to say something, but Jack pressed a finger to his lips, silencing him. “We can talk about death in the morning. You need your rest, to recover your strength.”

            Ianto nodded, his eyes sad and weak. “Will you be there? When I wake up?”

            He meant so much more than that. Jack smiled brilliantly at him. “You know I always will be.”

            And so, Ianto Jones managed to get to sleep that night, held in the possessive and comforting arms of his beloved husband, Jack Harkness, who was possibly more rattled and scared by his death than Ianto was.


	10. TARDIS Travel - Not For Everyone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack and Ianto have to explain to Gwen that traveling with the Doctor is not as glamorous as she thinks it is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Yep, I do not own anything.

            The presence of the TARDIS at the end of the road stood there as a testament to the sheer oddity that was the Doctor and his traveling companions. To normal people, it wasn’t important and they didn’t give it the time of day. But, to those people who had spent any time with the Doctor and had been forever changed by his presence in their lives, the blue police box was the gateway into seeing something that was bigger than they had previously thought.

            And, to those few who were an extension of the people who traveled (or had traveled) with the Doctor, the presence of the TARDIS was either a blessing or a curse, depending on the person.

            For Gwen Williams (née Cooper), it was apparently a curse.

            Jack’s jaw was tense, Ianto observed, as he stared at the dark-haired woman sitting across the table from him. That was never a good sign, usually preceding a very large fight.

            The day had started out so nicely. On Donna’s suggestion, they (Ianto and Jack) had gone to visit Gwen, Rhys, and Anwen.

             Donna thought it would be nice, since Ianto had just gotten back on his feet after recovering from the after-effects of the radiation poisoning (and death). That had been a slow recovery. Though he wouldn’t carry any scars because of it, Ianto had, however, gotten a few premature streaks of gray in his hair, as a result of direct exposure to the radiation. He would have been vain about those streaks, if Jack hadn’t mentioned (on multiple occasions) how much he liked said streaks on Ianto.

            Anyway, Donna and the Doctor had extended an invitation to Rhys to bring Anwen out for the day and accompany the small family of Time Lords and Ladies around town. Knowing that Anwen and the twins were roughly the same age and had bonded on every meeting, Rhys gladly accepted since, as Donna had whispered to Ianto, a be pretty serious verbal argument that had been brewing for quite some time between Jack and Gwen.

            It had been nice to catch up with Gwen and Rhys. Traveling through all of time and space generally made regular communication difficult, though Donna did make it a point to have regular communications with her mother and grandfather, especially since the twins were still so young. But that wasn’t the case here.

            Gwen had been kind and invited the pair of them to stay behind, to have tea with her. Ianto had accepted, if only to act as a buffer.

            He had noted that Gwen didn’t make coffee, much to Jack’s clear dismay. Jack was an avid coffee drinker and would drink pretty much any form of coffee put in front of him, even if he still stuck to the point that Ianto’s was the best.

            Idle conversation had dominated the early parts of the afternoon, with Gwen talking all about how much Anwen enjoyed school (the girl was nearly six now), how Rhys’ job at the advertising firm was going well, and how Gwen herself was liking being back on the police force, now that Anwen was going into school. Ianto had told her about how the twins were quite exception (even as a young Time Lord and Lady, respectively), how Donna and the Doctor were getting each other into and out of trouble, and how he and Jack had saved a few planets along the way.

            He had noted that Gwen’s eyebrow had twitched a tiny bit when he was talking about their adventures. Ianto had to wonder about how much she was missing their Torchwood days.

            That was something that he and Jack talked about, as they lay close at night, reminiscing on old times.

            Still, as he watched the tension in Jack’s body, Ianto had to worry about Gwen’s safety. Jack was bordering on dark, scary anger, an encounter from which few people ever survived.

            It had been an off-comment from Gwen that had made Jack tense up like that, just a thoughtless statement about the wonders and paradise of traveling around and seeing the stars, coupled with the adventure of being the savior.

            That struck a nerve, even with Ianto. He could forgive her romantic notions of what it was like, traveling through time and space. But he couldn’t get over how she had continued on about what it must be like seeing those places, insinuating to Jack that she desired to have _him_ show her what the stars looked like.

            Was she really that daft?

            “Gwen, that wasn’t the smartest thing to say,” he said quietly, trying to put some distance between her statement and what Jack was, no doubt, planning to do.

            She looked at him. “What? What do you mean?”

            He sighed. “Gwen, traveling with the Doctor is wonderful and all, but it’s not as perfect as you have it cracked up to be. It’s a hell of a lot worse than what we faced with Torchwood. Trust me, I know. I’ve been doing for over fifteen years.”

            “Oh come off it, Ianto. You’re just being a dead-beat downer.”

            The memory of sirens and radiation and Jack’s tormented face at Ianto’s death and imminent following death played across his mind for not the first time.

            “Really? Am I?” He leaned forward, pushing his teacup to the side. “The travel is wonderful, I won’t lie, and I do like solving the problems that come with being a companion to the Doctor, but I cannot tell you how many times I’ve died or nearly died since I started traveling with him. It’s not easy, even if you have the luxury of immortality.”

            Gwen rolled her eyes at him, patronizingly. “Really, Ianto, I don’t see how bad it could possibly be. We’ve survived worse.” She sniffed. “After all, I was there for Miracle Day.”

            Ianto drew a sharp breath. How could she be so dismissive of his warnings?

            “You don’t get it, do you, Gwen?” Ianto bit back. He saw Jack in his peripheral vision and Ianto knew that he had to do everything in his power to keep his husband from exploding at Gwen.

            “What is there to get, Ianto?” she asked pointedly. “You two get to travel around the universe, seeing all those fantastic places that most people would only dream of seeing, while I’m stuck here, doing paperwork and figuring out how to deal with a Cardiff police force that just doesn’t understand action!”

            “Enough.”

            Jack’s voice was level and cold. He didn’t have to raise his voice to command their attention. Ianto shivered.

            “Jack!” Gwen said, her voice a surprised whine. It took everything in Ianto’s power not to roll his eyes at her statement. The Welshwoman just wasn’t getting it and hadn’t recognized the signs of an angry Jack.

            “That’s enough from you, Gwen Williams,” Jack commanded. Gwen gasped but, thankfully, remained quiet. “This universe is a lot bigger and more dangerous than you can possibly imagine. But you’ll never understand, if you can’t even listen to one of your old teammates as he tries to explain. I should have seen it before.” Jack shook his head. “You had a kind heart, once upon a time, and that’s what got you into Torchwood, but you lost that heart, lost sight of what made you an asset to Torchwood. You became too involved with your own wants and own desires. I thought you were just innocent, naïve, that you would learn with time, but I was wrong. That was my mistake.”

            Ianto took his husband’s hand and squeezed, reassuringly. Jack needed it, though he didn’t show it.

            “Jack,” Gwen said, in an attempt to defend herself, “I want to be a part of your life again. I want to see what you see. Just because Ianto says it’s hard doesn’t mean I can’t handle it. Don’t keep me here! I can handle it!”

            “Really?” Ianto saw the tears in his husband’s eyes and his heart broke. Jack soldiered on. “Can you live with the memories of watching the love of your life die and you can’t do anything to save them? Can you live, knowing that someone you care about dearly is suffering because they’re helping, doing good? Can you live, seeing the person you promised to care and protect in pain and you can’t be there to hold them because they’re stuck in a radiation-filled room and you’re on the other side of the glass?”

            Then, and only then, did Jack break down.

            He wept, the tears flowing freely. Ianto wrapped his arms around Jack, letting his husband bury his face into his shoulder. Jack needed the comfort, more than anyone.

            Ianto looked at Gwen, who had wide and unbelieving eyes.

            “Do you understand now?” he asked, his tone even.

            “What happened?”

            There, finally, was a little bit of Gwen’s heart.

            He sighed. “This time? A nuclear reactor constructed to replace a sun’s power. We shut it down, the Doctor, Donna, Jack, and me. We were helping the planet to fix their drift from their sun. There was an explosion in the reactor room and I was trapped inside, exposed to high levels of radiation.” Ianto remembered that pain so well. “I died once and was on the verge of dying again before Donna figured out a way to release the radiation. It took me three weeks before the Doctor let me leave the TARDIS for more than an hour.” Ianto tightened his hold on Jack. “You don’t forget the looks on the faces of the people you love the most when you die.”

            Gwen was shell-shocked, expressionless but Ianto didn’t care.

            By the time the Doctor, Donna, the twins, Rhys, and Anwen had returned to the house, Jack’s tears had subsided enough to make him semi-presentable, though he refused to budge an inch from Ianto’s arms. Gwen was still silent, eyes wide, processing.

            Rhys opened his mouth to say something, but Donna shushed him, shaking her head. She, in her infinite wisdom, had sensed what had happened and knew that Jack needed no further provocations.

            With a friendly nod to Rhys and a kiss on Anwen’s head, Ianto gathered Jack up in his arms and took him back to the TARDIS.

            Back in their room, Jack finally spoke again.

            “I don’t believe her.”

            Ianto shook his head. “She didn’t know, Jack. She believed traveling in the TARDIS was simple, easy, in comparison to Torchwood, or her life now.”

            Jack sighed raggedly. “Would it be alright if we don’t do that again?”

            That’s fine by me.”

            And that was how Ianto and Jack decided that Gwen was never going to travel with the Doctor.


	11. Toshiko Sato's Rainy Day Encounters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> : Tosh accidentally runs into the TARDIS crew as they’re stopping in Cardiff for a refuel. She is in for a big surprise! Set in season 2 (for Tosh) and post-Miracle Day for the TARDIS crew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Nope, I don’t own.

            It was supposed to be her day off and yet, here Tosh was, chasing down a Weevil. On her own. In high heels.

            In the rain.

            Of course, being the good Torchwood agent that she was, she had phoned Jack to let him know that there was a Weevil on the loose, though Jack probably already knew that. Back-up was on the way, she knew, but that didn’t mean that she let the Weevil run wild. Nope, she had to try and stop the Weevil before anyone got hurt.

            Easier said than done. She cursed herself for deciding to go clubbing and wearing high heels. They were so impractical when it came to chasing down the various monsters and aliens that the Rift liked to throw their way.

            Speaking of which, didn’t the Rift know that it was her day off?

            Still, she hurried along, keeping the Weevil clearly in sight as she fumbled for her gun, which she had stowed in her purse. For once, she was so glad that Jack had gotten them all licenses to carry weapons on them at all times, even when off-duty. Her gun was as much a part of her body as were her computers in the Hub.

            The Weevil roared loudly, turning about to face her.

            Tosh gasped in surprise and stumbled back, dropping her gun. She winced in pain as her unsteady feet twisted in a painful way. She dropped to the ground.

            She gulped. This wasn’t good. The Weevil was stalking towards her. In her very rational mind, Tosh knew that there was little to no chance that anyone could get to her from the Hub in time to save her.

            Reaching for her dropped gun, Tosh prayed that she could get it in time to defend herself.

            With a snarl, the Weevil launched itself at her . . .

            . . . Only to have its head gruesomely blown off its neck.

            Tosh let out her breath, falling limp. She looked around to find her rescuer and, after a moment, was rewarded.

            A red-haired woman stood several feet away, dressed smartly in black trousers, a forest green shirt, and a dark pin-striped jacket. But, most curiously, she had a long metal . . . thing in her hand, which was extended at where the Weevil had been standing, only seconds before.

            The woman dropped her hand and pocketed the object, looking at Tosh.

            “Well, good thing I got here in time, or else my surprise would have been a lot worse.” The woman winced as she gave Tosh an once-over and saw how the Japanese woman was clutching her right ankle, clearly in pain. “Lucky the TARDIS likes to look into timelines too, I suppose. Smart girl, that one.”

            The TARDIS? That was the time machine of Jack’s Doctor, right?

            “Who – who are you?” Tosh asked, despite her pain.

            “I’m Donna Noble,” the woman said, smiling. She crossed to Tosh, kneeling down next to her. “I’m an old friend of Ianto’s and Jack’s.”

            Who was Donna Noble?

            Neither Jack nor Ianto had ever mentioned that name to her. Martha Jones, from Jack, of course! But this woman?

            “I don’t understand.”

            Donna smiled. “Well, you wouldn’t.” She shook her head. “Right, I forgot about what time period we’re in right now. I’m supposed to be seeing the universe for the first time. If my calculations are right, the Doctor and I are in Pompeii right around now, on Volcano Day, as it were.”

            Tosh was really confused right now, but, before she could say anything else, she winced heavily as a stab of pain lanced through her right ankle.

            “Ow.”

            “Here, come with me. We’re close to the TARDIS. I can get you patched up in a jiff. Besides, Jack and Ianto will be so glad to see you.”

            Jack and Ianto? They had been back at the Hub, when she had called in. Tosh suppressed a blush at all of the ways that Jack could have Ianto otherwise occupied when Ianto had been trying to get paperwork filed away. Jack was good at that kind of thing.

            Donna carefully helped Tosh up, supporting a bulk of the smaller woman’s weight. She was stronger than she looked.

            It took them a few minutes to walk (a bit awkwardly) down the street. Donna had relented and gotten Tosh to peel off her shoes. That had made Tosh’s ankles (the injured and the uninjured one) feel so much better. As they turned a corner, Tosh saw a very blue police box sitting, innocuously, in front of them. That hadn’t been there earlier!

            Her companion led her up to the door of the police box and pushed open the door.

            What Tosh saw beyond the door defied all reasonable expectations.

            The inside was bigger than the outside! This had to be the TARDIS – the Doctor’s TARDIS! Jack had said that it was bigger on the inside (which he had followed with numerous sexual comments, given that it _was_ Jack).

            Donna pulled her inside, calling out for the Doctor.

            A tall, skinny man poked his head past a coral control stalk. He was wearing square-framed glasses that were askew on his face. A frown crossed his lips.

            “Donna, what have I said about bringing home strays?”

            Tosh huffed indignantly as Donna carefully led her to a couch that looked like it didn’t belong in the room. She kept looking around the room, despite that comment, in awe. Jack hadn’t been lying.

            “She isn’t a stray, Doctor,” Donna replied, as she propped Tosh’s foot up. Instantly, Tosh felt a _something_ reach out and surround her throbbing ankle, relieving the pain. “The TARDIS sent me out to find her. She’s supposed to be here, if only for a little bit. This is Toshiko Sato, of Torchwood Three.”

            A mad smile crossed the Doctor’s face.

            “Torchwood Three, you say,” he exclaimed, as he walked around the console to get a better look at Tosh. “Well that explains why the old girl wanted to come to Cardiff.”

            “It’s been ages since Jack and Ianto have seen her.” There was something in Donna’s voice that moved Tosh. “They miss her, even if they won’t say anything.”

            Before anyone could say anything else, loud, familiar laughing filled the room. The gleeful squeals of children echoed through the air. Tosh looked to the other end of the room and saw Ianto and Jack entering the room, each with a child in tow. Jack had a red-haired girl on his back, her arms flapping out on either side of her. Ianto had a boy with very unruly hair clinging to an arm, trying to bog down the Welshman, who was smiling brightly.

            She had to smile at the sight.

            This was the most free she had seen either one of the men in a very long time. They were both clearly in their element, playing with the children.

            “Kids,” Donna said, drawing their attention to her, “let your uncles go, please.” All four of them pouted, none more than Jack, as they complied, the two children going to flank the Doctor, who put a hand on each of their shoulders. The resemblance between the twins (for they had to be twins) and the Doctor and Donna was uncanny. Donna’s eyes were twinkling. “Your uncles have a friend, whose waiting to see them.”

            Both Ianto and Jack stopped, staring wide-eyed at Donna, who merely tilted her head towards where Tosh was sitting on the couch. Their eyes found Tosh’s. She gave them a weak, confused smile. A shy smile crossed Ianto’s face while a full-blown, fully-charming grin split across Jack’s face.

            “Tosh!” Jack exclaimed, sounding truly happy. He bounded across the platform and came to kneel down beside her. He hugged her tightly. She heard the tears in his voice as he continued, quietly, “I’ve missed you so much.”

            “But Jack,” she said, “I just talked to you a few minutes ago.”

            Jack drew back and cupped her face with his hands. “You talked to a version of me, in the past.” His eyes were stormy. Tosh tilted her head to the side, confused. “You see, it’s been almost seven years since I’ve seen you last.” Jack turned to look back at Ianto before looking back to Tosh. “It’s been longer for Ianto.”

            She looked at the Welshman and realized that he was not quite as young as the Ianto she had seen the night before in the Hub. Sure, he looked almost exactly the same, but there were a few gray streaks in his hair (which honestly made him look even more attractive than he already was). His eyes, though happy and youthful, had a degree of age that she couldn’t deny. Still, that smile on his lips was as excited as she remembered.

            Tosh opened her arms to Ianto and the Welshman descended upon her, hugging her tightly.

            “Love you, Tosh,” Ianto whispered into her ear, surprising her.

            “I love you too, Yan.” As Ianto stepped back, she raised an eyebrow in question. “Is anyone going to tell me what’s going on?”

            The four other adults all laughed.

            “Sorry, Tosh,” Ianto said, “we can’t really tell you much. See, time’s a funny thing. We can’t risk changing this time period much more than we already have.”

            Jack laughed as he stepped next to Ianto, slipping a hand around Ianto’s waist. Tosh stared at them for a moment. It took her by surprise to see the two so comfortable with one another when they were still exploring their relationship – back at the Hub.

            Then she realized.

            This was a future version of both Jack and Ianto, versions who were happily in a relationship with one another and were traveling with the Doctor. She caught sight of the emerald and sapphire ring on Jack’s hand and then the diamond ring on Ianto’s hand. They were married too!

            “But are you two happy?” she asked.

            They shared a look.

            Jack responded, “More than you can know.”

            She smiled at them. “Good. I always knew that you two would make an adorable couple.” A thought crossed her mind and she started laughing. “I had made a bet with Owen about how long it far you two would go, before one of you got sick of the other. I guess I won then.”

            “How so?” Jack seemed quite intrigued.

            “I said that you would get married.”

            Both men grinned madly. “You’re right, Tosh,” Ianto agreed, “as always.”

            “That’s good.”

            Things got hazy for Tosh soon after and, in the morning, when she woke up in her own bed, her ankle aching ever so slightly, she smiled as she saw her heels sitting neatly on her dresser, her gun sitting next to it.

            A note sat next to her gun and read:

            “Dear Tosh, Sorry about dropping you off like that last night. We couldn’t stay much longer (time reasons, you’ll understand!) but we wanted to let you know that we love you and we miss you. You’re an amazing woman and a hell of a computer genius. Don’t ever doubt yourself. Now go collect that bet with Owen! Much love, Ianto and Jack. P.S. Tell Owen how you feel, before it’s too late. The boy is slow on the up-take sometimes!”

            She was puzzled at that last bit, but, if there was one thing that Toshiko Sato was good it, that was puzzles.

            Well, that and being right about how adorable Jack and Ianto are as a couple.


	12. Can You Feel My Love For You?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack plans a romantic moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: No owning of Doctor Who and Torchwood. Sadly. And “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” belongs to Sir Elton John.

            Ianto yawned a bit, stretching, as he walked into the TARDIS’s control room, up from a required nap. It was very quiet, what with Donna and the Doctor out visiting Sylvia and Wilf for a few days.

            Around him, the TARDIS rumbled and sent him warm feelings of comfort. He smiled at the mothering nature of the ship. The old girl wasn’t over-bearing, just genuinely concerned about his well-being. He still did get worn out on occasion – residual after-effects of the radiation, the Doctor had confirmed. It would take a little while before he was completely back to full strength.

            Not that Jack was complaining much. The American immortal got to pamper Ianto to his heart’s content.

            The softer, sweeter, more domestic side of Jack was coming out more and more, especially with the twins around. Ianto had seen glimpses of that part of Jack’s personality when they had been at Torchwood, mainly after hours, when it was just Ianto and Jack together. But now, his husband was showing the part of him that few ever got to see. Granted, that side only got shown to loved ones and truly special people, namely the members of the TARDIS crew and (on occasion) Donna’s and his families.

            Still, as Ianto refocused his attention, his energies recovered for the moment, he stopped short, in total surprise. Jack was grinning broadly, his charm turned up on high, obviously very proud of what he had accomplished.

            Jack was standing by the TARDIS controls, dressed as he was accustomed to, khaki slacks, dark blue shirt (that was Ianto’s favorite) and white undershirt, his gray World War II coat tossed over a railing nearby. But, surrounding Jack and spilling over the grating, onto the surrounding floor, were dozens, if not hundreds of bouquets of flowers, of various sizes, colors, and types.

            “About time you woke up, sleeping beauty,” Jack commented, lightly, walking towards Ianto.

            He finally recovered his voice. “Jack, what’s going on?”

            “Can’t a guy make a romantic gesture to his fabulous and handsome husband?”

            That brought a smile to Ianto’s face. He reached out and took Jack’s hand, interweaving their fingers. “Yes, you can.”

            “Good.”

            Jack slipped his free hand around Ianto’s waist. In that moment, soft music began echoing through the TARDIS. Ianto laughed, gripping Jack’s shoulder, smiling brightly to the man he loved more than anything else, as they began to dance.

            “Thank you, Jack.”

            For a moment, Ianto didn’t know what Jack was going to do. It was as if he was debating between kissing Ianto or sweeping him off his feet into a grandiose gesture.

            He went with the simple kiss, pecking Ianto tenderly on the lips.

            “You’re worth it, cariad.”

            They danced slowly around the control room, amid the sea of flowers that Jack had created. Ianto felt content, in his husband’s arms. This was a _moment_.

            Jack hummed quietly along with the music that the TARDIS was providing them, his lips near Ianto’s ear. Somewhere in the back of Ianto’s mind, he recognized the tune, but he couldn’t quite place it.

            Then, Jack began to sing:

_“There’s a calm surrender, to the rush of day,_

_When the heat of the rolling world can be turned away._

_An enchanted moment, and it sees me through._

_It’s enough for this restless warrior, just to be with you.”_

            Ianto looked at Jack, finally placing the song. There was something in Jack’s eyes that he recognized, a look that was so focused on one thing – Ianto – that he blocked everything else out. Nothing else mattered, for now. Time just stopped for the two of them and that was good. They only needed each other.

_“And can you feel the love tonight?_

_It is where we are._

_It’s enough for this wide-eyed wandered,_

_That we got this far.”_

            Carefully, Jack lifted his hand and twirled Ianto, before pulling him close again. They stepped around a particularly large vase and did a simple 4-4 waltz to the music.

_“And can you feel the love tonight?_

_How it’s laid to rest?_

_It’s enough to make kings and vagabonds,_

_Believe the very best.”_

            He pulled out of Jack’s embrace, squeezing his hand. Ianto led Jack over to the couch. Jack smiled, understanding. They didn’t need to dance all night. They had time and Ianto knew his body’s needs better than anyone (except for Jack, of course).

            They curled up on the couch, Jack wrapping his arms tightly around Ianto, still singing the song quietly to Ianto.

_“There’s a time for everyone, if they only learn,_

_That the twisting kaleidoscope moves us all in turn._

_There’s a rhyme and reason, to the wild outdoors,_

_Where the heart of this star-crossed voyager, beats in time with yours.”_

            As Jack sang the last word, he leaned his chin onto Ianto’s shoulder. He exhaled lightly, his arms folded around Ianto.

            For a moment, they were quiet. All was good in the TARDIS.

            “That was beautiful, Jack,” Ianto said, his voice small, reluctant to break the silence. “I didn’t know you could sing so well.”

            Jack chuckled warmly. “I guess I’ll just have to sing for you more often.”

            “I’d like that very much.” Ianto leaned his head back against Jack’s shoulder, reflecting on the various gestures of Jack. Normally, one might expect large and over-the-top gestures of love from Jack, but these were the moments that Ianto truly treasured, the ones where Jack was away from the eyes of the universe and he could truly express his love, in simpler, quieter ways. After a moment, Ianto added, “I can feel it, you know.”

            “Feel what?” Jack was intrigued and an intrigued Jack was a Jack whose attention was fully devoted.

            Ianto paused briefly, drawing out the moment before he answered, “Your love, I _can_ feel it.”

            Jack’s lips found his jaw. “Good.” Fingers slipped down Ianto’s arms lazily. “Love you, Yan.”

            “Love you too, Jack.”

            There they stayed, amidst the flowers as the TARDIS watched over them with great fondness.

            Jack had given Ianto flowers and, in a way, had also given the TARDIS flowers. He might not have known that the old girl did like flowers, but she did. The Doctor didn’t bring her flowers often, so this was a treat for more than one time-traveling being. The TARDIS hummed delightedly, still playing soft music, as her two favorite non-Time Lord immortals relaxed.


	13. All the Little Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack thinks about all of the things, both big and small, that he loves about Ianto.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Nope, I am most definitely not making any money off of this. This is purely for my own entertainment purposes (and yours, if you are reading this!).

            It was hard to imagine how he might have lived like if he didn’t have Ianto with him. Those five years after the Welshman’s first death had been very hard, more brutal than Jack would care to admit (even to Ianto). He had seen little reminders of Ianto in everything and everywhere. The sight of Ianto strolling out of the TARDIS, putting on Jack’s old coat, was nothing short of divine.

            Still, every day, Jack was impressed with how much he loved Ianto and there was so much about Ianto to love.

            It was Ianto’s smile, the way it lit up his whole face, making his eyes sparkle and shine in just the way that made Jack’s heart skip a beat. Even when they were in the midst of a crisis and everything looked utterly grim, all Ianto had to do was smile and Jack firmly believed that everything would be okay. There were different degrees to that smile, ranging from the quiet, almost shy smile that most of the universe saw, to the full-blown mad grin that came whenever the Doctor had a crazy, brilliant idea, to the warm smile that he always gave to the twins, to that devilishly handsome and oh-so-sexy smirk that he reserved solely for Jack.

            It was Ianto’s witty remarks and retorts, which always kept Jack on his toes. Ianto had a way of knock Jack (or Donna or the Doctor) down a peg, when they really needed it. He was practical and he had a sense of humor. That made for a deadly combination, especially when one finds oneself aboard a ship that traversed both space and time. Jack had always been impressed by Ianto’s ability to add a pithy comeback into a conversation without a moment’s hesitation. He had noticed it back at Torchwood and had summarily been drawn in.

            Then, there was the way that Ianto interacted with the twins. Jack always kept an eye out for when Ianto went into “uncle” mode. He was caring and gentle, everything that might be expected from a man who was dealing with small children. But, at the same time, he had an air of authority that meant that the two would listen to him (because they loved and respected him) if the situation ever arose that he needed to get them to safety. Plus, Jack noted, Ianto did tell wonderful stories to them, even if Jack was partial to his own bedtime tales.

            Of course, it should always go without saying that Jack loves Ianto’s coffee. Ianto was magic in that department, no questions asked. Ianto was the only person on the TARDIS who was allowed to touch the coffee machine.

            By extension, Ianto is a wonderful cook. Jack can hold his own in the kitchen and whip a mean meal whenever he feels so inclined, but Ianto can cook! From animal-shaped pancakes at any meal for anyone who asks nicely to a dessert that should belong in a five-star restaurant because it’s so sinfully good, Ianto kept the rest of them well-fed.

            Then there’s the determined Ianto, the Ianto who will see the day end better than it began, the Ianto who wants to fix problems. That causes problems, of course, but Jack knows that, as long as Ianto is safe, when the day does end, he’s willing to go along with the plan and help out, where he can because things tend to get interesting along the way. Putting Ianto, the Doctor, and Donna into a room and having them solve a problem always leads to interesting results. More often than not, Jack’s the one who deals with the panicking people (Ianto does help out there, when he can) and baby-sit for the twins (not that Jack minds, of course, he loves the two as if they were his own).

            Jack loves the Ianto he holds at night. When they’re alone, that’s when Ianto is at his purest. That’s when Ianto quietly shares his secrets, the ones that he had been keeping from Jack, for Jack’s own sake. That’s when they make the sweetest and most tender love of Jack’s long life. That’s when they can share the hopes and dreams that they have.

            Oh, they have their fights and disagreements, as any married couple does, but Jack’s reasonable, when he wants to be. He knows when Ianto’s going to win (which happens quite a lot, of late). He also knows that it’s better to be open and honest with Ianto because communication is integral to their survival and the survival of the people who are counting on them in a dire situation.

            Besides, loud arguments always lead to really amazing make-up sex.

            Still, Jack finds that he is always drawn to Ianto Jones.

            Ianto balances him, keeps him grounded in reality and provides him hope for the future. Ianto makes him smile, laugh, cry, yell, scream, and so much more. It’s the little things too, the habits and quirks.

            Like the way that Ianto buttons his waistcoat in the morning (from the bottom up) and unbuttons it at night (from the top down), or the way that he always brushes his hand against the TARDIS’s walls in the hallway, as if to say a private “thank you” to the ship. It’s the way that Ianto plays with his engagement and wedding rings when he needs reassurance and the way he sighs when he’s tired. It’s the smell of his shampoo, not quite vanilla but something warm and comforting and purely Ianto.

            And, it’s the way he puts his whole heart into every “I love you” to Jack.

            Every time Ianto does something for Jack, makes some small gesture that is pure Ianto, like holding Jack’s coat for him as he puts it on, or put his chin on Jack’s shoulder at the end of a day, or take Jack’s hand and squeeze it in that comforting way of Iantos, Jack can’t help but fall even more in love with his husband.

            In love is where they’ll stay and Jack couldn’t be happier!


	14. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Jack Prefers Ianto

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ianto, Jack, Donna, and the Doctor are at a U.N.I.T. gala event when Jack gets propositioned. Can he prove that he’s dedicated to Ianto or do gentlemen really prefer blondes?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: No ownage here, sorry guys. We’ll just have to settle for these stories.

            It was a very ritzy event, no question. Ianto eyed the door to the grand ballroom with suspicion, knowing that, by the end of the evening, _something_ would happen. Things usually had a tendency to get interesting at the least suspecting moment.

            Still, as he straightened his bowtie (again, what was it with Donna and bowties?), Ianto shifted from foot to foot. He felt oddly naked without the comfort of his trench coat around him. It was like bring in Jack’s arms all the time and it was a comforting second skin when he was in a strange situation.

            “You’re so adorable when you fidget, Yan,” Jack commented, appearing at his side. Ianto looked over at his husband, who looked altogether very dapper in his own tuxedo, his hair combed into perfection.

            “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind next time I need to distract you.”

            Jack gave him a devilish smile as he took Ianto’s hand. “You tempt me, Ianto Jones.”

            He shook his head. “So, remind me again why we’re here?”

            Ianto knew full-well why they were there, but he enjoyed hearing Jack’s answers. It changed every time the event was brought up.

            “Because you, my dear husband, are so wonderfully amazing, that U.N.I.T. decided to throw a party to celebrate all that is you.”

            Chuckling, Ianto leaned over and kissed Jack on the cheek. “Now who’s being tempting?”

            Jack only laughed heartily as he tugged on Ianto’s hand, pulling him towards the door. A hotel employee saw their approach and opened the door for them. Ianto gave the young man a nod and sympathetic look. The man looked a little uncomfortable at the sight of two men, hand in hand, obviously together as a couple. It was hard, knowing that, for most of the planet, their relationship was unconventional and unexpected.

            The gala was in full swing as they entered the room, relatively unnoticed. Ianto looked around and immediately found the Doctor and Donna. It was hard not to.

            The Doctor, always dapper in his tuxedo, was at the center of a crowd of U.N.I.T. scientists and bigwigs, dutifully answering their questions, though Ianto could tell that he would much rather be doing something else. Beside him, Donna, dressed in an elegant black evening gown, was smiling and jumping in to answer questions and correct the Doctor’s long-winded tangents. She paused for a moment and waved to Ianto and Jack, both of whom smiled and waved back at her.

            A few moments later, Jack nudged Ianto and nodded to the side. Ianto followed Jack’s look and smiled as he saw Mickey and Martha, talking to a few colleagues.

            The two, while they didn’t work full-time for U.N.I.T., did take the occasional job for the organization. They were mainly free-lancing nowadays, scheduling their work around the time they spent with their new baby boy, Theo.

            Ianto thought it was nice for the pair of them to get out though.

            Sylvia and Wilfred were watching the twins and Theo for the evening. After bringing Martha and Mickey around a few times, Sylvia had adopted them as her other children and loved their little boy as much as she loved the twins. Ianto felt a surge of love as he thought about his very extended, very weird family.

            Jack squeezed his hand, drawing his attention.

            “I have to go talk to someone about the Rift,” he said quickly, with a sad look on his face. Ianto knew that Jack didm’t want to leave his side but business was business. Torchwood may have been officially disbanded but Cardiff was still on U.N.I.T’s radar. The Rift liked to act up, on occasion. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

            Ianto kissed him lightly. “Take all the time you need. I’ll get a drink.”

            Jack smiled at him before walking away, towards a man in a uniform. Ianto watched him go. Well, watched Jack’s ass as Jack went.

            He didn’t bother hiding his smile as he went to the bar.

            Moments later, as the bartender handed over his glass of wine, Martha and Mickey appeared at his side. Both smiled genuinely as they greeted him.

            “Don’t you look lovely,” Martha commented, her eyes sparkling, as she pulled back from the hug.

            “I could say the same about you. If I wasn’t with Jack, Mickey might have competition,” Ianto replied, smirking just a bit.

            Mickey, hearing his name and Ianto’s comment, looked at the Welshman as he finished ordering fresh drinks for Martha and himself. “Oi, that’s my wife you’re talking about, Ianto. Watch what you say.”

            “I was just complementing Martha, Mickey.” Ianto raised an eyebrow, giving Mickey a slow and smoldering once-over that he normally reserved for Jack, though he was entirely playful right now. “Reflection of you, in a way.”

            Martha rolled her eyes as Ianto took a sip of his wine. “You have been with Jack for far too long, Yan. You’re starting to pick up some of his . . . habits.”

            “Someone had to say it and Jack’s not here right now.”

            “Speaking of Jack, where is Captain Cheesecake?”

            Ianto looked at Mickey. “Talking to a man about the Rift.”

            “I don’t think that’s what he’s talking about,” Martha said, her voice astonished. She nodded to some point behind Mickey and Ianto.

                The two men turned and followed her gesture. Ianto’s jaw dropped a little bit. His blood pressure rose just a little bit as he saw a well-endowed blonde woman, dressed tastefully enough to fit in but showed enough that left little to the imagination. She was obviously flirting with Jack and Jack was in full-charm mode, clearly flirting with her in return.

            Ianto drained his wine glass and straightened his jacket. “Right, well, that’ll get settled.”

            He heard Mickey wince a little under his breath. Oh yes, Jack was going to get it.

            If there was one thing that Ianto Jones, husband of Jack Harkness, was good at, it was establishing his relationship with said Jack Harkness and right now, it was painfully obvious that there were women (and probably a few men) in the room who (intentionally or unintentionally) overlooked the rings on Jack’s left hand.

            Quietly, Ianto stalked towards his husband. By the looks of it, the busty blonde wasn’t the only one who was interested in Jack. There were a few nearby who had their eyes on Ianto’s husband. Jack was loving the attention.

            He faintly heard the blonde coyly use the line, “You know, gentlemen do prefer blondes.”

            If they were going to play this game, Ianto would always win, despite what the women thought. Gentlemen may prefer blondes, but Jack is his own breed.

            Once upon a time, Ianto would never have dreamed about doing this – to or for anyone! But Jack wasn’t just anyone and Ianto was far more confident in himself than he had ever been. Besides, Ianto was fully justified in being possessive of his husband.

            He saw Jack glance at him and then do a double-take as Ianto gave him a sultry smile. Ianto straightened his bowtie, ever so slightly. Jack raised his eyebrow a fraction of an inch, quirking it in Ianto’s direction as he continued his discussion with the woman in front of him. Ianto casually looked around and saw a waitress carrying a tray of champagne flutes, an evil plan forming in his mind.

            He caught the attention of the waitress and tilted his head towards Jack and the blonde, his eyes sparkling with mirth, his smile handsome and charming. Ianto flicked his eyes over Jack’s form, licking his lips. Carefully, he tipped his hand towards the waitress, flashing his rings at her, knowing that she had seen the rings on Jack’s own hand. After a moment, she smiled in return, understanding his message to her.

            Seconds later, the waitress was at Jack’s side, offering champagne to Jack and the blonde. The blonde took a flute, downed the champagne, and traded it for another in the time that it took Jack to take one flute and make a few charming comments to the waitress. Jack took a sip from the flute.

            As the blonde said something, Ianto put his plan into action.

            Ianto strode to the trio, his eyes fixed firmly on his husband. The blonde’s attention was caught a moment before he appeared in front of Jack. Her voice trailed off. Vaguely, Ianto was aware of the fact that she was staring at him, obviously assessing him. Somewhere in her mind, no doubt, the wheels were turning that he was an attractive male.

            But Ianto didn’t prefer blondes.

            He preferred Jack.

            Taking Jack by surprise, he cupped his husband’s face and pulled him in for a hot and steamy kiss. Ianto could taste the champagne on Jack’s lips as he nudged open Jack’s mouth, his tongue invading Jack’s mouth.

            When Ianto pulled back, Jack had a dazed look on his face.

            “Ianto,” Jack said, stunned, shakily putting his champagne flute back on the tray, “are you flirting with me?”

            “Why, sir?” Oh yes, Ianto was playing _that_ game.

            “Because it’s working.”

            He leaned in and kissed Jack again, wrapping an arm around his husband’s waist, pulling him against his chest. Jack was very aroused right now. They were going to have a good night tonight.

            Ultimately, it was the bumbling gasp of the blonde that drew them out of what would have been an otherwise enjoyable snog.

            Ianto was grinning like the cat that got the canary as he looked at the blonde. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the waitress grinning at them, despite having pink cheeks. But his focus went back on the very surprised woman in front of him. He summed up the entire situation for her in one simple word:

            “Mine.”

            Jack’s arms looped around his waist, as Jack folded himself around Ianto, fitting them together comfortably.

            Later, after Mickey and Martha recovered enough from their massive fits of laughter, having watched that entire scene play out, they would congratulate Ianto on a successful mission. And, even later, Donna and the Doctor would tell them how entertaining they were to watch.

            Hours and hours after the gala ends, as they’re in bed, after having some amazing sex, Jack’ll tell Ianto as he’s brushing stray hair out of Ianto’s face:

            “You know, she said that gentlemen prefer blondes. Well, I prefer you.”

            And it’s true.


	15. Never to Say Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hearts may break and promises will be made to keep. Jack and Ianto face a hard prospect – what if they have to say goodbye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: This should honestly go without saying, but I don’t own anything here.

            He didn’t know what all went down but Ianto knew that being held at gunpoint while the love of your immortal life has a knife at his throat wasn’t good, even if your love was equally immortal.

            Especially when your captors figured out how to create a time shield in which Ianto and Jack were on opposite sides and there was no way that the TARDIS could get through to Jack’s side, since they were technically displaced in time. That meant that Jack would be killed as many times as their captors felt like it. Retribution was a bitch and the prospect of watching Jack die again and again was not something he wanted to do – ever. It stung enough when they faced down potential death every now and again.

            Still, his eyes were fixed solely on Jack’s tormented blue ones as the knife cut lightly into his skin, causing a trickle of blood.

            “Your lover will suffer immensely,” the dark-eyed man holding Ianto back crowed. “Pity you can’t save him.”

            Ianto gritted his teeth. “You watch, I will.”

            “Not if he’s stuck in that field. You don’t have the technology to save him.”

            He knew that Jack could hear every word they were saying. Ianto’s stomach clenched. This was the nuclear reactor, but in reverse. He was helpless and Jack would die.

            “It’s alright, Yan,” Jack said, comfortingly, “a little pain and suffering is worth the time it’ll take. You can beat them. You can save me. I know you can.”  
            But Ianto didn’t think he could. The tech was so far out of his league, even after all his time with the Doctor, and he was no Tosh. He didn’t think Donna or the Doctor could get either one of them out of this safely, not without both of them dying more than a few times.

            The TARDIS couldn’t save Jack this time, even if the girl wanted to. She wouldn’t be able to break past that shield. Jack was kept distorted from the proper time reality by a mere fraction of a second and that fraction of a second was all that was needed to block the TARDIS. Their captors were brilliant, far too brilliant to be mere mercenaries with a grudge against Jack. Ianto didn’t know who had hired them, but whoever it was would pay dearly when Ianto found them. But right now, he didn’t care about who had hired them. He worried for Jack.

            Ianto’s heart broke – no, not broke, shattered.

            He didn’t want to lose Jack, not like this.

            Sure, they would get Jack out – eventually. Sure, it would be hard and they would both be better once they were safe and sound, back in their bed, in the room. But, Ianto didn’t want to bank on abstracts right now. He needed to figure something out, something more concrete that would not involve large amounts of death. He needed Jack out of that godforsaken time-shielded prison and in his arms.

            The elbow tightened around Ianto’s neck a little tighter. His vision darkened some as his air supply was beginning to be cut off.

            “Stop it!” Jack screamed. “Don’t do kill him.” The elbow loosened a bit and Ianto gasped for air. “He’s nothing to you. Why kill him?”

                A snarling laugh cut through the air. “Because he’s everything to you, _Jack Harkness_. Don’t think we don’t know who you are, Face of _Boeshane_. We’re here to make you suffer in any and all means possible.”

            “Fine, but don’t kill Ianto. Please, for me, not him.”

            The terror in Jack’s voice hurt Ianto. Memories rose unbidden to Ianto’s mind and something inside of him sharpened, focused.

            “Oh,” the man at Ianto’s side said, “not him?” He turned the gun from Ianto. Jack relaxed as much as he could with the knife still at his throat. But Ianto knew better. This wasn’t going to end pretty.

            “I love you, Jack.” His voice was even, reassuring. Stormy blue eyes met ice blue eyes. Jack gave him a dashingly bright smile, full of hope and promise, despite the situation.

            “I love you too, Ianto.”

            “Good bye, Jack”

He gave Jack a tiny smile as a gunshot rang out.

            Ianto groaned as immense pain stabbed through his stomach. He fell to the ground, released from the hold of his captor. Blood seeped out of a bullet hole, staining his shirt a dark red. He clasped his hand over the wound, hoping to hide the eventual healing of said wound. Even if he didn’t completely die from this, they needed to believe that he was going to die, because Jack’s safety hung in the balance.

            Jack’s gasp echoed and, as Ianto rose his head to meet Jack’s eyes, the knife slit across Jack’s throat.

            The Welshman rasped out a pained scream as Jack fell to the ground, blood seeping out of his throat. He felt so weak, some combination of blood loss and seeing the love of his life killed in front of him.

            A swift kick to the ribs knocked him to the ground.

            “Just wait, _boy_ ,” their captor crowed. “You’ve got enough life left in you to see him die at least one more time.” The smelly man bent down to Ianto’s level. “And then, you die.”

            He pressed his hand against his wound and felt, with great satisfaction, as it closed up, the blood flow stopped. Ianto met the eyes of his captor with a deadly, even look.

            “Hasn’t anyone told you about me?”

            “What?”

            Ianto dropped his hand from his side and pushed himself up, standing totally straight. “There’s more than one immortal in this universe and you shot a hole through my favorite waistcoat.”

            Then, and only then, did Ianto pull the gun he kept holstered in a well-concealed sling on his lower back. Cocking it, he aimed it at the captor, his face dangerous.

            “What? How are you not bleeding?”

            “Told you, mate, I’m immortal.” Ianto looked around the room. “Which means that you can kill me all you like but you won’t make a dent.” He stared at the lead mercenary. “Now, tell me how to get Jack out of there and I’ll consider doing the kind thing and not killing you. It seems to me that you lot aren’t immortal.”

            He kept the gun trained on the leader as the rest of the group scurried about, freeing the time shield around Jack and Jack’s killer. As Jack came gasping back into life, Ianto was at his side, helping him up. Ianto slipped his free arm around Jack, propping him up.

            The air in the room was tense as the immortal duo stumbled out of the room. Ianto had his gun trained on the leader the entire time. No one challenged him. No one dared to.

            Many years later, a story would be told of the fury of the immortals and there would be a grain a truth that was taken from that moment, from the cold look that shadowed Ianto’s eyes. Few could ever understand the true pain of an immortal faced with the death of a loved one and few could ever capture that anxiety in its purest form.

            But, when they crashed through the TARDIS doors, giving Donna and the Doctor a fright, Ianto finally lowered the gun and Donna carefully pulled the loaded weapon from his fingers.

            Jack hugged him tightly. Ianto, hands totally free now, wrapped his arms around Jack. He could feel his husband shaking like a leaf. It took a lot to rattle Jack Harkness and this was one of those moments.

            “Ianto,” the Doctor said quietly, sagely, “get Jack back to your room before the twins wake up. They shouldn’t see Jack like that.”

            “Of course, Doctor.”

            He bent down and picked Jack up, bridal style. Jack buried his head into Ianto’s neck. He felt warm lips touch the juncture of his neck and his jaw, causing goosebumps to rise on his skin. Gods, Jack’s touch felt wonderful. Ianto started towards the door, only to stop as he heard the Doctor call his name once more. He turned to look at the ancient Time Lord.

            “I don’t want to see either one of you until Jack’s ready, Ianto,” the Doctor said cryptically. “The TARDIS has everything set up for you.”

            Ianto merely nodded to the Doctor before going about completing his mission.

            It wasn’t until he carried Jack into their room that he understood what the Doctor had meant. There was another room attached to their already large suite. Ianto smiled, very faintly. It was a kitchen, and a well-stocked kitchen at the looks of it. The TARDIS, bless her heart, was going to make sure that Ianto and Jack had all the time in the universe to be together, to recuperate, because that’s what they needed, more than anything else.

            He carefully laid Jack on the bed and climbed in next to him, ignoring the dried blood that caked his body. There would be plenty of time to clean that off later. Ianto had bigger things to worry about right now, namely Jack.

            Speaking of which, Jack turned to face him, his brilliant blue eyes focusing on Ianto’s face.

            “Please never say goodbye again, Ianto,” Jack rasped out before tears began to fall from his eyes. “I never want to hear you say that word to me ever again.”

            That must have truly hurt Jack’s heart, Ianto realized, and, for that, he was upset. He hadn’t meant to hurt Jack like that. He merely needed to make their captors believe that Ianto was a mortal, that Ianto could die, but Jack didn’t need to hear his explanation right now.

            Jack needed the promise.

            “Never again, Jack,” he said, “I swear I will never do that again.” Tears spilled out of Ianto’s stormy eyes. “I could never leave you, Jack Harkness. I love you way too much.”  
            Hands roughly grabbed Ianto’s shoulders. Jack pulled him in and kissed him desperately.

            They held each other tightly as they both cried tears for what they had gone through together. Neither one really had the words to describe adequately what it felt like to go through that situation, but they both knew that they needed each other in order to get past it, to be able to move on in their lives and their relationship.

            Finally, as their tears subsided for the moment, Jack looked down and saw the blood on Ianto’s shirt and the fraying bullet hole in Ianto’s waistcoat. He frowned and shook his head.

            “Damn, I liked that waistcoat too.”

            Ianto carefully unbuttoned it, slipping it off. “I suppose we could see if the TARDIS can repair the poor thing. If not, then we’ll have to pick a new favorite waistcoat together.”

            Jack grinned a proper Jack smile at that promise. They didn’t need any more words for the moment, save the quiet “I love yous” that they whispered into each other’s ears as they undressed. Ianto traced a finger lightly along Jack’s neck, pleased to see that there was no residual scar from the path that the knife had cut along Jack’s skin when that captor had killed him.

            Dirty and bloody, the two men pulled each other into the bathroom, where they made good use of the Jacuzzi. Jack took great pleasure in slowly, tenderly washing Ianto off, scrubbing and kissing every inch of his husband’s body. Ianto was lost in the bliss of the simple touches.

            And, once they were both clean to Jack’s satisfaction, they expanded their vocabulary from three words to five as they had quiet, sweet love in the Jacuzzi, the warm water relaxing what tension the sex couldn’t relax. When Ianto orgasmed, he dropped his head against Jack’s shoulder, fingers sliding down Jack’s side as the American immortal snuggled on his lap, legs still straddling Ianto’s hips.

            As he recovered, Ianto looked up at his husband and smiled with great love. Gently, he pushed Jack’s hair out of his face, noting how handsome Jack looked when his hair was utterly disheveled.

            “No more dying like that,” Jack quietly stated, as a fact.

            Ianto shook his head, emphasizing the point. “Only deaths that _mean_ something.”

            “I love you, Ianto.”

            “I love you, Jack.”


	16. The Very Root of the Problem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A direct follow-up of “Never To Say Goodbye,” Ianto tracks down who sent the mercenaries and gives them a piece of his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Yep, I do not own anything.

            The door slammed loudly and dramatically, echoing through the room and alerting the occupants of the room to his arrival. His coat flapped around him, added an extra quality to the danger of the moment.

            Ianto Jones stalked into the room, his face filled with the deepest of fury. Anger clouded his eyes as he fixed his attention on one person. Ianto didn’t need theatrics to get his point across, to make people pay attention to him. All he needed was a well-pressed suit, his trench coat, and the proper amount of motivation.

            Lucky for him, he had all three things.

            “Why?” His voice was clipped as he spat out that question. “Why did you do it?”

            The wide, dark eyes that were staring back at him were filled with fear. Ianto didn’t pause to feel any sympathy for Gwen at the moment as he stalked right up to her and stopped, their faces mere inches from one another.

            “Ianto, I don’t understand what you’re talking about!”

            He exhaled roughly through his nose. “Yes, you do, Gwen. You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

            Ianto reached into his coat and, from an inside pocket, pulled out a thin folder. He thrust it into Gwen’s unexpected hands. He stepped back and watched, anger still boiling high, as she opened it, flipping through the carefully chosen contents. She gasped in surprise.

            “I didn’t do any of this, Ianto. You have to believe me!” she exclaimed, looking back up at Ianto, her eyes wide and seemingly innocent. “I would never cause Jack any harm.”

            “But me?” he questioned, his tone chillingly even, hiding his anger – barely. “You are perfectly fine with causing me pain, even if it means causing a little bloodshed on Jack’s part. You were fine with testing to see if what I was saying was true about the fact that I can’t die.”

            Gwen stepped back, her eyes fearful of him. “You mean, it’s true?”

            “That I can’t die? Of course! Pay attention.” He gestured to his hair. “I didn’t put those streaks there for nothing.” She gulped. “And I wouldn’t damage my favorite waistcoat for nothing.”

            She looked wildly at him. “Ianto, I didn’t know that any of this would happen, I swear it.” Ianto gave her a furious look.

            “So you knew about this then?”

            Cautiously, she nodded. “Someone approached me about your apparent immortality and they asked me questions about you and Jack. I told them where to find you, what you two might be doing, and when might be a good time to get in contact with you. I didn’t know that they would do anything other than talk to you.”

            She honestly believed what she was saying, Ianto noted, but that didn’t excuse anything.

            “We trusted you, Gwen, to keep our secret, to let us live our lives as peacefully as possible. We thought that you heard what Jack said the first time.” The memories were fresh in his mind and Ianto felt tears prick at the corners of his eyes as he thought about Jack’s death. “Was it enough that Jack had to die? Or that I almost died again?”

            “Ianto, I didn’t _know_.” Her voice was pleading now.

            He was angry, no questions about it.

            “Then stop trying to mess with our lives, Gwen. We’re happy.” Ianto gritted his teeth. “Because of your actions, I made a promise to Jack that I would never say goodbye, because goodbye is too hard for either one of us.” He clenched his hands into fists. “Jack’s been having nightmares ever since, Gwen, because he’s afraid of losing me, losing everything that we have together. Do you know what it’s like, to have your husband screaming next to you at night, in a sweat, and the only thing that you can do to help them is to hold them? You almost made me lose Jack, Gwen, and that is not acceptable.”

            She was shaking, under his gaze.

            “Ianto, I am so sorry.”

            He exhaled and turned. Ianto didn’t want to be in the same room as this woman right now. To be perfectly honest, it would be a long time before either he or Jack could be in a room alone with her ever again, even if the twins and Anwen were beloved playmates of one another now. He couldn’t look at her without feeling that betrayal.

            “Save your apologies.”

            With that, Ianto Jones walked out of Gwen Williams’ house.

            At the end of the walk, standing on the other side of the gate, Jack Harkness was waiting for his husband with a sad look upon his face.

            “You should have waited for me, Yan. I would have gone with you.”  
            He shook his head as he went through the gate. “I didn’t want to wake you, Jack. You only just started sleeping well enough as it was.”

            Jack hugged him, kissing the side of his head. “So you gave Gwen a piece of your mind?”  
            Ianto nodded. “She won’t betray us ever again, if she’s smart enough.”

            “Let’s hope she is.”

            The unspoken other half of that sentence hung in the air. Ianto knew what Jack meant because the same thoughts were rushing through his mind. Cold anger was predominant on the TARDIS because of Gwen. The Doctor had made enough threats that even Donna couldn’t cool him down. Both Ianto and Jack knew that, if Gwen ever pulled anything like what she did to them again, she would never be able to survive the encounter.

            But they weren’t going to talk about that right now.

            Instead, Jack took Ianto’s hand and, together, they began to walk down the country road. They still had time until Rhys brought the twins back and Donna had gotten the TARDIS to fly her and the Doctor off to a secret location to help the Doctor cool his anger.

            So, for now, Ianto and Jack could just walk, could simply enjoy each other’s company.


	17. Proof Positive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack and Ianto finally get something that they’ve been wanting and waiting for – children. This is the story of how they find out that they’re expecting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: No ownage, just playing in this sandbox.

            “Ianto!”

            Jack’s frantic call pulled Ianto the rest of the way out of his otherwise very peaceful sleep. The Welshman rolled over on the bed and opened his eyes, looking to the open door of the bathroom. He could see Jack crouched over the sink, worry dominating his profile.

            “Yes, Jack?” he answered, sleepily, sitting up and running a hand through his hair.

            Jack turned to him, his eyes wide with surprise. For a moment, Ianto was afraid, since Jack had bolted out of bed a few minutes prior. Ianto would have been up with him, but Jack had been extremely adamant that Ianto not worry himself with Jack, at least not for the time being. But that didn’t stop Ianto’s worry from raging back into life. Jack had taken to being quite moody the last few days. Well, that and being uncharacteristically ill.

            “You might want to come over here.”

            There was a tone in Jack’s voice that thoroughly intrigued Ianto. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed.

            “And why is that?”

            A bright, broad grin split across Jack’s face.

            “You’re going to want to see this.”

            Ianto was intrigued. He pulled himself out of bed and slowly walked into the bathroom. He slipped behind Jack, wrapped his arms around Jack’s waist, resting his head on Jack’s shoulder.

            “What is it?”

            “I just took a test.”

            That was intriguing. “What?”

            Jack lifted his hand and Ianto saw the object that he was holding. It was long and thin and white. He recognized it instantly.

            It was a pregnancy test.

            More importantly, it was a pregnancy test that had a little pink plus sign on the end.

            He squeezed on Jack’s waist a little bit, tensing. That was a pregnancy test. It was positive. If that was a positive pregnancy test and Jack had taken it, then that mean that . . .

            “Guess what, Ianto?”

            Ianto turned his head a tiny bit, catching Jack’s profile. “Jack . . . you’re . . . that’s . . . you mean?”

            Jack was grinning broadly at him. “Yep, we’re having a baby!”

            He turned Jack so that Jack was facing him. Ianto cupped his husband’s face and pulled him in for a deep kiss as the realization of what Jack was saying finally sunk in. Ianto couldn’t be happier.

            When he drew back, Jack was grinning like a madman.

            “You’re pregnant, Jack?!? How?”

            The raised eyebrow from Jack was quite amusing. “You really have to ask, Yan? We’re on a time traveling spaceship, we’re both immortal, and you’re asking me how it works that I’m pregnant?”

            Okay, that was foolish of him to ask, but Ianto was floored that what they both had wanted and desired for was finally here. In a matter of months, they were going to be parents! Jack was pregnant!

            The grin on his face was exuberant.

            “I love you, Jack,” he whispered, hugging his husband.

            Jack kissed his ear softly. “Love you too, Yan.”

            As they held each other close, in their bathroom, Ianto felt such hope for the future. They were going to be okay – more than okay. They were going to be a family!


	18. By Any Other Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naming a baby is hard, but, lucky for Jack and Ianto, the name of their baby comes in the most sincere of fashions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing. Sorry guys. Wish I did!

            Steam curled off of the top of the mug as it got pushed across the table to him. Ianto quickly picked it up, cupping the warm drinking vessel between his hands, inhaling the comforting smell of the herbal tea that Sylvia always kept in stock. He took a sip, letting the liquid wash over his tongue. After swallowing, he looked back at the woman sitting across the table from him.

            Sylvia Noble raised an eyebrow at him.

            “Are you sure you’re alright, Ianto?” she asked, concern in her voice. “You’re normally more put together than this.”

            Ianto paused for a moment, putting the tea mug down, thinking.

            “I really am sorry for dropping in on you without warning, Sylvia, but I didn’t know where else to go.”

            The woman smiled. “It’s alright, Ianto. You are good company and I can’t get Dad to drink the tea I buy.” He smiled. It was true. Wilf wasn’t a fan of Sylvia’s tea. “So what’s on your mind?”

            “It’s been stressful on the TARDIS lately,” he admitted, meeting her eyes. “Oh, not in the dangerous way, I mean. Donna would have the Doctor’s head if he put the twins in danger.” Ianto sighed. “It’s just, there’s a lot going on with Jack and me and I feel like we don’t have enough time as it were to get ourselves straightened out.”

            Sylvia took his hand, squeezing. “Is it because of the baby?” Ianto’s jaw dropped. They hadn’t even told his family yet. The woman grinned. “Donna mentioned it, last time she called. She said that you and Jack were finally having a baby.”

            Ianto didn’t bother to hide his grin at that comment. He was excited about the prospect of being a father, though, as the baby’s arrival got closer, he was starting to worry. “Yeah, we are. Jack’s carrying.” He shook his head as Sylvia’s eyes bulged a tiny bit. “Don’t ask the logistics, please. It’s hard enough to have to explain to everyone else that Jack _is_ pregnant.”

            “Well I’m happy for you, the both of you.” She gave him a reassuring look.

            “Thanks, Sylvia, but, see, Jack and I are going through a lot, Jack more than me, since he’s the one who is actually going to be giving birth.” Ianto ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know if I’m ready to be a parent yet.”

            “Ianto Jones!” Sylvia exclaimed. “You listen to me, you and Jack are going to be wonderful parents. I’ve seen you with the twins. You both have a way about you that soothes them. Plus, anyone who can keep up with Donna and the Doctor without losing their sanity entirely has some credit to their skills.”

            He smiled faintly. “You think?”

            She squeezed his hand again. “I know so.” Ianto blushed a bit. He could always count on Sylvia to cheer him up. “Now,” the woman asked, “where has your husband gotten off to?”

            “Oh, Donna dragged him off to go shopping to buy clothing for the baby. We were going to borrow some of the twins’ old things, but she insisted that our baby needs a whole new wardrobe.” Ianto laughed heartily as a memory flashed through his mind. “And Jack needed to buy some more clothes for himself. He’s starting to show.”

            After a moment, as his words sunk in, Sylvia started laughing. “I remember when I was pregnant with Donna. I was so worried about keeping myself fashionable and practical, not to mention comfortable.” She gave Ianto a steady look. “His ankles will be killing him, Ianto. Be as supportive as you can throughout this entire process.”

            Ianto nodded, grinning a bit. “Jack’s not used to having someone fuss over him like that, but I’m quite enjoying it.”

            “Good.”

            Sylvia’s confidence in him was encouraging. Ianto saw how proud of him she was. He wasn’t even her own son, but Sylvia treated him (and Jack) as such. Her genuine happiness over their impending bundle of joy was thoroughly wonderful.

            As they continued to chat over tea, Ianto relaxed some, the tension of his worrying over Jack’s state, especially given that they traveled on the TARDIS and Jack had a tendency to be reckless, eased. Sylvia had a knack for finding the root of his problem and solving it in the quietest of ways. Donna clearly got that skill from Sylvia’s side of the family.

            A while later, Ianto glanced up at the clock on the wall. Jack and Donna should be back from their shopping trip soon, he reckoned.

            Looking back to Sylvia, he asked, “If you don’t mind me asking, Sylvia, what was your mother’s name?”

            “Annabelle, why?”

            Ianto didn’t the chance to reply because Donna and Jack came barging into the kitchen, numerous bags in hand. Wilf trailed behind them, a broad grin on his face.

            “Hello, cariad,” Ianto said, standing up from the table. He took the bags from Jack and set them on the ground before leaning in and kissing Jack. “How was your trip?”

            Jack moaned a bit into the kiss. “Productive, as expected.”

            “Sylvia,” Wilfred exclaimed, looking at his daughter, “did Ianto tell you? He and Jack are having a baby girl.”

            Ianto looked back at Sylvia and smiled. The woman gaped as she realized the impact of the question that Ianto had just asked her. A moment later, after she had recovered, she met Ianto’s eyes and smiled genuinely. Neither one needed words for that moment.

            Jack’s arms looped around his waist. Ianto could feel the very small baby bump on Jack’s stomach. He smiled. Their baby girl was alive and well, growing healthy and strong.

            Soon enough, their little Annabelle would be born.


	19. How to Scar Dr. Owen Harper For Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Owen stumbles upon the TARDIS and is quite surprised by what he finds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: No owning here. I just play.

            He was having a bad day and, by bad day, it was the kind of day that made Owen seriously question why he did what he was did on a daily basis. Torchwood was great and he loved the work he was doing, but he didn’t necessarily the long hours and the sleepless nights. That seriously cramped his nightlife style.

            To make matters worse, there was a damn blue police box sitting on the curb, right in front of the main door to his flat.

            No one seemed to mind it as they were walking by, but Owen, being the good member of Torchwood that he was, was good at noticing things that were out of the ordinary. Hell, that’s part of the reason why he got his job in the first place. That, and Jack had said that he needed a crazy kind of doctor, but that’s besides the point.

            Owen growled a little bit.

            Who leaves a police box in the middle of a street in Cardiff?

            Even as he finished that thought, Owen started laughing, earning more than a few confused looks from the average pedestrian. Of course, it all made sense now. Jack had only just come back from his travels and they had heard all about the Doctor.

            And the Doctor’s blue police box – or the TARDIS.

            Wait? Was the Doctor here to take Jack away again? Owen knew that the team might not be able to handle another abandonment, despite what Jack had promised.

            _Ianto_ wouldn’t be able to handle Jack ditching them again. The young Welshman had barely stood it when Jack had just gone running out of their lives. Owen had seen the daily battle that Ianto had fought against his emotions and the doctor had sent his heart out to his friend. Ianto didn’t deserve that kind of pain, especially from Jack, a fact that had never been helped by the constant harping of Gwen.

            Still, Owen steeled himself, strode up to the blue police box, and knocked loudly on the door.

            A moment later, it opened . . . only to reveal Ianto Jones, resident Torchwood teaboy, archivist, and the guy that _everyone_ knew had Jack wrapped around his little finger.

            Only, Owen knew that this wasn’t the same Ianto he had seen at work today.

            This Ianto had an aura of confidence about him that threw Owen for a loop, mixed with a look of experience that betrayed his youthful exterior – well, save the gray in Ianto’s otherwise dark hair. That gave the doctor reason to pause. There had to be a story there. And the deep blue waistcoat Ianto wore was made of a high-quality silk that even Owen was jealous of.

            “Owen!” Ianto sounded genuinely surprised and genuinely happy to see him. The Welshman was shaking his head as Owen pulled himself out of his stupor at seeing his co-working inside the strange police box, when Owen knew (for a fact!) that Ianto was back at his flat (with Jack). “I should have known that the old girl would have us run into each other sooner or later. You best come inside.”

            It was totally surreal when Ianto pulled him inside. The logical part of Owen’s mind was having a complete field day trying to process what he was seeing.

            This _ship_ really was bigger on the inside. Jack wasn’t kidding about that!

            Owen turned, his face contorted in a look of disbelief and shock as he took it all in. From the large console that dominated the room, to the doors that had to lead somewhere else, to the tall, skinny bloke (the Doctor, that had to be _the_ Doctor) next to the pretty red-head with the children, and finally to the couch that seemed very out of place, given the theme of the rest of the room.

            “Holy shit!” he exclaimed, reflexively jerking back at the sight of a heavily pregnant Jack, sitting on the couch. “What the hell?”

            Jack rolled his eyes. “No swearing in front of the kids. It’s bad for their health.” Owen raised an eyebrow at that before glancing to the two children, who were giggling at his outburst, obviously to the chagrin of the Doctor and the redhead. “And you act like you’ve never seen someone pregnant before, Owen.”

            The Londoner shuddered. “I’ve seen people pregnant, but they’ve all been _women_ , unless you got a sex change without telling me first.”

            Jack grinned at that comment.

            “Don’t ask how it happened,” Ianto piped up. Owen looked back to him. “You’ll get confused and the human mind isn’t equipped to handle a lengthy explanation of the medical miracles that the TARDIS can provide.”

            “Oi! I’m not that bad!” the Doctor said, as he leaned against the railing, looking at Owen. “Plus I let you met another one of your strays, Jack and Ianto.”

            “Dad,” the boy at his side cut in, tilting his head to the side, “you said that Uncle Ianto and Uncle Jack missed their old friends and that the TARDIS liked them.”

            The Doctor looked to the boy, his son, and grinned a bit. “You have your mother’s mind, Geoff.”  
            The red-head slapped his shoulder. “Oh stop it, Doctor, let them have their reunion.”

            “Right,” the Doctor agreed, “we’ll be off then. Dinner time for the kids.”

            With that, the Doctor and the redhead ushered the two children – both clearly not wanting to leave – out of the room, leaving Owen, Ianto, and Jack to their own time and own conversations.

            Ianto moved to the couch, where he arranged himself next to Jack, mindful of the pregnant man’s stomach. Owen cautiously approached the pair, the wheels in his head turning as he processed what he was experiencing. Briefly, he saw rings flash in the light of the room.

            This had to be a future version of Jack and Ianto, he concluded. It was the only explanation.

            “So, how far into the future are you?” he asked, tentatively.

            Both men grinned at him. “See, that’s why I liked Owen,” Jack replied, victoriously. “And, to answer your question, we’re from about six or seven years down the road, Earth time.”

            Owen’s eyes flicked to Ianto’s hair. Ianto must have seen that because he sighed knowingly.

            “Before you ask, the streak came from a nasty encounter with radiation. It was not a pretty death, that one.” Owen processed. Ianto had died? He saw Jack wrap an arm tightly around Ianto’s shoulder, as the Welshman continued, “Let’s just say, immortality bites sometimes.”

            “Do I even want to know how you’re immortal, Ianto?”

            The two men shared a look and jointly answered, “No!”

            “Okay, won’t ask then.” He studied them again. “So, is the baby a girl or a boy?”

            Here, both men smiled. “A girl,” Jack said proudly, practically glowing. “We’re having a little baby girl.”

            Owen smiled at that. They were so obviously excited about this. Ianto was happier than Owen ever remembered seeing him.

            “Have a name picked out yet?”

            “Yes,” Ianto said, “and we’ll tell you, if you promise never to tell anyone.”

            There was only one answer to that. Owen nodded in the affirmative.

            Twelve hours later, when he woke up in his flat, to the sound of his cell phone going off (“Bringing Sexy Back,” as customized by one Jack Harkness), he knew that everything was right in the universe.


	20. Blue Eyed Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s time for Ianto and Jack to welcome their baby girl into the universe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing!

            Childbirth was considered, by most women, to be a truly magical experience, perhaps the most magical experience of their lives.

            After experiencing all of the pain and joy of birth for himself, Jack Harkness could only agree. It was all worth it in the end because his baby girl was born – safe, healthy, and very much anticipated.

            It had been a particularly dull day on the TARDIS when his daughter decided to make her presence known and demand to be born. For that, Jack was infinitely grateful. He would have hated to give birth in the middle of a Doctor-related crisis. Ianto would have gotten a few more gray hairs because of that, Jack knew, if their little girl was born during a crisis.

            Still, it was a good thing that they were parked outside Mickey and Martha’s suburban flat. Donna and Ianto had both insisted, much to the Doctor’s chagrin. The Time Lord had argued that he and the TARDIS could handle it, but the two had firmly shot that down, citing Martha’s aptitude for dealing with the weird that always came with the Doctor (and her medical knowledge as a _human_ doctor, despite the Doctor’s fervent declarations that he could handle it).

            Jack was grateful for her presence when it actually came time to give birth. Martha really was a wonderful Doctor. Though, to be perfectly honest, he wasn’t too much focused on her presence, save for her calm orders.

            He was more focused on the large amounts of pain, his desire for the baby to be born, and the fact that Ianto was there, holding his hand – or having his hand forcibly crushed by Jack. (He would make it up to the Welshman later.) Ianto was exactly what Jack needed to get through this – solid and comforting, a ready-made aid to Martha and distraction for Jack.

            In the end, Martha had to perform a C-section on Jack. It was the safest way, she had deemed, for both him and the baby.

            So, thirteen hours (on the dot) after he went into labor, their little girl breathed her first breath on her own – and let out a mighty cry.

            Donna had taken the baby as Martha took care of Jack. Ianto had managed to pry Jack’s fingers off of his own and informed Jack that he was going to go with Donna to clean up their daughter – their daughter! Jack had only managed to smile (weakly) and nod.

            For the next hour, Jack lay in the TARDIS infirmary, recovering, while Martha, Donna, and Ianto checked over the baby, cleaning her up and recording the needed measurements. The Doctor was busy keeping the TARDIS from invading their personal space, since Donna had booted the Doctor out halfway through the labor, when the Time Lord started getting in her way and making Jack too anxious for his own good with his incessant talking about the wonders of the moment.

            Finally, Jack heard footstep quietly approaching him

            He opened his eyes and grinned. Ianto was walking towards him, a bright and truly happy smile on his face, cradling their small, pink bundle of a daughter. The Welshman was on cloud nine.

            Jack sat up, propping himself up on the pillows.

            “Hey there,” he said, tiredly, to Ianto. “How is she?”

            Ianto looked at him and smiled. “She’s perfect.”

            Carefully, Ianto passed their daughter over to him. Jack wrapped his arms around her, cradling her with the ease of a man who was a practiced father. It warmed his heart to see her turn into him, recognizing his presence. Jack bit his lip, fighting back the tears. This was all too wonderful – his daughter was safe, healthy, and perfect.

            Ianto slid onto the bed next to Jack, wrapping an arm around Jack, who leaned back against his shoulder.

            “I’m so proud of you, Jack,” the Welsh immortal quietly said, the love obvious in his voice.

            He smiled. “Well, our little girl is worth it.”

            “Yes, she is.”

            She opened her eyes, her big, beautiful, blue eyes. The daughter of the only two true immortals in the universe looked up at her fathers and gave them the contented smile of a newborn.

            “Welcome to the universe, Annabelle Toshiko Harkness-Jones,” Jack said to her.

            Ianto kissed Jack’s cheek and added, “Welcome to the TARDIS, angel. We’ve been waiting for you.”

            And it was true.

            As Jack gently rocked little Annabelle, he knew that their lives were only beginning. They had their daughter and that piece of both he and Ianto that had been missing, had been empty and incomplete, was gone. They had a family now and Jack swore silently that he would do everything in his power to keep them together.

            Annabelle blinked her blue eyes at the two once before settling into a happy sleep.

            Jack and Ianto smiled at one another and Ianto kissed Jack on the lips. They had a family now.


	21. Meet the Daughter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack take their daughter to meet Ianto’s family, which always causes fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own.

            Ianto barely suppressed his grin as he rang the doorbell. Beside him, Jack had already given in to his urges and was smiling brightly. Annabelle gurgled happily in Jack’s arms, her eyes wide. Between them, her empty carrier sat, the diaper bag nestled inside.

            A moment later, Gladys opened the front door.

            “Ianto, Jack!” she exclaimed brightly, stepping into the doorframe. She gasped in surprise as she saw the baby in Jack’s arms. “Oh!”

            Taking the opening, Jack said, “Gladys, Mam, I’d like to introduce you to your granddaughter, Annabelle Toshiko Harkness-Jones.”

            Gladys recovered her senses as tears came to her eyes. “She’s beautiful.”

            Ianto smiled. “We certainly think so. Jack and I wanted to bring her to meet you and Tad.”

            His mother nodded before turning to look back into the house. “Stuart, Ianto and Jack are here. They have someone they want you to meet.”

            From inside the house, the voice of Stuart Jones rang back, “What’re the boys doing here? Nothing blew up, did it? No one died, again?” Ianto looked to his husband and saw that Jack was fighting the urge to laugh at that comment. They heard Stuart moving towards the front door. A moment later, he appeared, saying, “What’s going on?”

            “Tad, meet our daughter, Annabelle Toshiko Harkness-Jones,” Ianto said proudly. He couldn’t get over how good it felt to hear those words roll of his tongue.

            Stuart looked from Ianto to Jack to the precious little girl in his arms. For a moment, he studied her before smiling.

            “What are you lot still doing out here? She’s such a small thing. Don’t want her to catch a cold, yeah?”

            Both Jack and Ianto chuckled as they trooped into the house, Ianto brining the baby carrier and diaper bag in. Gladys shut the door tightly as Stuart bent over to give Annabelle a closer look.

            The little girl waved her arms at her grandfather.

            “She wants to see you,” Jack said quietly, holding Annabelle out just a bit.

            “Of course she does! She’s a smart girl,” Stuart replied, carefully taking Annabelle from Jack, cradling her in his arms. She nestled into the crook of his elbow, smiling a baby smile at him. “Annabelle, you say.” He smiled, rocking the baby a bit. “That’s a good name for her. She looks like an Annabelle.”

            Slowly, they moved into the living room. Moments later, Gladys appeared with tea. Jack didn’t pout at the lack of coffee. He knew better. Besides, Martha and the TARDIS had banned him from drinking coffee for the time being.

            “Toshiko’s an interesting middle name,” Gladys commented, sitting next to her husband. Her eyes (and most of her attention) were on her granddaughter.

            Briefly, Ianto met Jack’s eyes. Jack knew what he was thinking.

            “We gave her that name to commemorate a friend of ours who sadly lost her life in defense of the world,” Jack explained. “Toshiko Sato was a brave, smart, capable, and beautiful woman. Somewhere out there, Tosh is smiling down on our little Annabelle.”

            The elder Jonses understood. Stuart very reluctantly handed Annabelle over to Gladys, who began cooing over the little girl with great relish.

            “I do have to ask about the last name, though,” the man said, after a moment.

            The immortals looked at each other and grinned. Jack answered, “We wanted to give her both of our last names and neither one of us wanted to relent, so we made a compromise on that one.”

            “Harkness-Jones sounds a lot better than Jones-Harkness,” Ianto commented, off-handedly. “It just rolls of the tongue nicely.”       

            Ianto knew he was opening a door with that one and Jack jumped at the chance to comment.

            “A lot of things roll of the tongue nicely, Yan, especially if it comes from you.”

            Only the twin blanches from Ianto’s parents kept Jack from going further. Ianto rolled his eyes at his husband.

            “You’re a father now, Jack. You’re going to have to tone that down in front of Annabelle.”

            Jack only smiled and kissed Ianto’s cheek. “Of course, love.” He wiggled his eyebrows a bit, cheekily.

            Ianto had to laugh. They lived an interesting life, that was for certain. But he wouldn’t change it for anything – in fact, this life was better than his mortal one (pre-Jack). As the Welsh immortal looked at his parents cooing of his daughter, he realized just how much he loved this life and that this was exactly what he wanted.


	22. Time for Cheer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The TARDIS crew celebrates Christmas. Ianto and Jack are especially excited because it’s Annabelle’s first Christmas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: This should go without saying, but I don’t own anything!

            Growing up, one of Ianto’s favorite times of the year was always Christmastime. He always liked having his family together to celebrate the holiday. There was such a sense of love and community that he enjoyed.

            Plus, when you’re a kid, the presents were also a serious perk.

            Now, he found that Christmas brought a new sense of joy to his life. He had Jack and Annabelle to celebrate with, along with the Doctor, Donna, and the twins.

            They had agreed that they would spend Christmas Eve with their respected families and then come back together for Christmas Day, culminating in a large-scale dinner that was open to everyone, including the Nobles, the Joneses, and Mickey, Martha, and Theo. Donna had said that it would be the best way.

            Christmas Eve had gone over well, especially since Rebecca, Rhiannon, and Gavin hadn’t met Annabelle yet, so they spent a vast majority of the evening cooing over the little girl. Ianto had been so happy that they loved the girl and she seemed to enjoy being passed from person to person. He was content to curl up on one couch, cuddling with Jack as the family chatted in the living room, the tree glinting in one corner.

            Presents, of course, had been brought out that night, particularly for Jack, Ianto, and Annabelle, since the three would be on the TARDIS for the actual Christmas Day. Annabelle got the biggest haul out of the three of them, though she was still too young to mind Jack tearing open the presents for her.

            Ianto chuckled. Jack was a fiend when it came to opening presents.

            Finally, as Annabelle was falling asleep in his arms, he nudged Jack subtly, giving him the signal to call the Doctor. Twenty minutes after that, they were making their manners to his family and hauling themselves (presents and all) into the TARDIS, wishing everyone a very happy Christmas.

            It had been a relatively easy night for them, all things considered, since the TARDIS had been the main driving force behind the Christmas decorations. Ianto remembered how surprising it had been one day, about a week and a half before Christmas, when they brought back a large Christmas tree for the TARDIS and found multiple boxes of ornaments waiting for them. That had been a very enjoyable and worry-free afternoon and evening, decorating the TARDIS for the holidays. The Doctor had even gone so far as to string a line of lights around the outside of the TARDIS, which Jack topped by attaching a sprig of mistletoe to the inside of the door.

            Christmas Eve was wonderful, with his family, but, for Ianto, it was a major treat to be woken up on Christmas morning by Jack. Ianto smiled at his husband as the American immortal slowly trailed kisses down Ianto’s chest.

            “You want to get lucky tonight, don’t you?” Ianto asked with a smile.

            “Just like I do every night.”  
            It would have been a thoroughly enjoyable moment, but Annabelle decided to wake up as well – and brought all of the pains and joys of an infant in the morning.

            “I’ll see to Annabelle,” the Welshman promised, kissing Jack on the lips.

            As per their usual routine, Ianto rolled out of bed, leaving a very disappointed Jack in his wake. He smiled. Even if it was Christmas (and Jack was trying to get lucky), Annabelle was still a baby and needed their care over anything else. He pulled on a robe, tying it tightly. From the bed, Jack gave a hum of appreciation, making Ianto smile. He knew where Jack’s eyes were going, but he wasn’t going to say anything.

            Jack called after him, “Don’t rush. Take all the time you need.” There was some innuendo in there, but also an honest promise.

            After tending to the girl’s needs, Ianto picked her up and carefully carried her out of the nursery that the TARDIS had so generously attached to their bedroom and back into their bedroom. He stopped, cradling Annabelle. Ianto’s jaw dropped at what he saw there, a smile forming a moment later.

            Jack stood in front of the bed, a robe pulled on, with the grin of a cat that got the cream on his face. A very large pile of presents sat on the bed behind him.

            “Merry Christmas, Ianto.”

            Ianto chuckled, recovering. “Happy Christmas to you too, Jack.” Annabelle gurgled in Ianto’s arms. He looked down at their daughter. “And a very happy Christmas to you too, my Annabelle.”

            Jack closed the distance between them and looked down at Annabelle. “Your first Christmas of many more, little angel.”

            That moment was sweet. Ianto met Jack’s eyes and he smiled.

            Finally, Jack laughed and pulled Ianto (and Annabelle) towards the bed and the large stack of presents.

            Christmas morning was quite enjoyable, spent tearing through the packages that were waiting for them.

            Ianto didn’t know how the tradition started but it was custom on the TARDIS that families would open presents together before having breakfast together. Donna and the Doctor would be with the twins, going through their whole pile of presents. Before, when he was by himself, he liked having the opportunity to think about the people he wanted to spend Christmas with (namely Jack and, to a lesser extent, his family). Last year, when it was just Jack and him, it had been a long morning of slow and enjoyable sex, before a quick shower and breakfast. Now, they had their new tradition.

            They opened presents as a family.

            Annabelle sat in her baby seat between them on the bed while Jack and Ianto took turns opening presents, showing the little girl what she had received. Her favorite of the whole lot was a soft cloth rabbit, a gift from Martha and Mickey.

            Finally, the last presents opened were the ones that they had bought for each other.

            Ianto had to retrieve his present for Jack from the closet. Jack tilted his head to the side as Ianto wheeled it him, the large item carefully wrapped to obscure it’s true shape.

            Jack looked at Annabelle, saying to the baby, “Your Tad is very confusing at times.”

            That was a compliment, he supposed. “Of course,” Ianto replied, “but it’ll be worth it once you open it.”

            He grinned as Jack opened his present, watching Jack’s face split into a bright and hopeful smile. He was quite proud of himself, managing to track down an exact copy of the coffee machine that had been in the Hub, complete with a very large mug emblazoned with Jack’s name on it, Jack chuckled and raised an eyebrow as he saw the stopwatch hanging (seemingly innocently) from the front of the machine.

            “You’re giving me ideas, Yan,” Jack hinted, leaning in to kiss him.

            “Wait until later,” Ianto promised.

            Then, it was Jack’s turn to present his present.

            From his bedside table’s bottom drawer, Jack produced a square box, meticulously wrapped. Jack handed it over to Ianto with a cheerful grin.

            Ianto took his sweet time carefully opening the present. He could see Jack getting impatient, but he was enjoyed tormenting his husband. It wasn’t very often that he got to do something like that, so he grabbed the opportunity when it was presented to him.

            Naturally, Jack floored Ianto with his thoughtfulness and generosity.

            To most men, a silk waistcoat and a tie would not seem like a whole lot, but, to Ianto, it held a lot of meaning, especially when he realized the significance of the waistcoat and tie. The dark blue waistcoat was made of a heavy, durable silk, while the dark silver tie was a delicate contrast to it.

            “I know the TARDIS couldn’t fix that gunshot hole in your favorite waistcoat,” Jack said, “but I hope that this will make it up to you.”

            He leaned in and captured Jack’s lips.

            “Thank you, cariad. I love it.”

            “Good.”

            A noise from Annabelle drew their attention. “Sounds like someone wants breakfast,” Ianto said.

            Which is why they traipsed into the kitchen, still wearing their pajamas and robes.

            No one said anything because everyone else in the kitchen was still in their pajamas as well, even the Doctor, who was looking completely ridiculous in maroon striped pajamas and his usual trainers, but Ianto wasn’t going to say anything.

            Breakfast itself was fun, as usual. The twins were going on and on about their Christmas presents, before dying down when Ianto present them with Christmas-themed pancakes. The coffee machine in the kitchen was busy, especially given Jack’s tendency to drink coffee in the morning. He shared a secret smile with Jack, knowing that Jack was thinking about the coffee machine in their room. Ianto did laugh when he saw Jack produce the mug that he had given him, holding it out with wide eyes, begging for coffee.

            All in all, Ianto found that Christmas on the TARDIS was weird (as usual) but very entertaining.

            So, when the afternoon wore onto evening and the smell of dinner came wafting through the hallways, he found himself excitedly in the control room, flying the TARDIS with the Doctor up to Cardiff to pick up his family, before going to get Martha and Mickey. They had already gotten Sylvia and Wilfred and both were back with Donna, helping set up.

            It only took a few minutes before they were slowing down and stopping outside his parent’s house.

            He opened the door as his family came walking up the TARDIS, their eyes wide. Though they knew about their adventures in the blue police box, through time and space, this was their first time actually in the machine.

            Rhiannon and her husband, Johnny, had dropped jaws as their son looked as if he wanted to go explore. Gavin and Rebecca were equally interested in the TARDIS. Gladys and Stuart both were well in control of their expressions.

            “Welcome to the TARDIS,” the Doctor exclaimed as Ianto ushered them aboard. The Doctor had a slightly frantic look on his face and, as soon as the door was closed, he was running around the controls, sending the old girl back into action.

            “Don’t worry about that,” Ianto assured them, as they jolted in surprise at the sudden movement. “We still have a few friends to pick up and Donna’s a bit frantic about dinner.”

            “I would avoid the kitchen for right now,” Jack added as he walked into the control room, carrying Annabelle. “Wilf only just escaped by playing the great-grandchild card and Sylvia’s trying to rope Donna in. The turkey just exploded and the stuffing looks ready to walk out of the room.”

            “In other words, everything’s right on schedule.”

            “It is.” Jack wrapped an arm around Ianto’s waist and kissed his cheek, cradling Annabelle in one arm. “I was right. The waistcoat does look good on you.”

            Ianto chuckled. “I do like it.”

            Jack leaned in and whispered into his ear, “It’ll look even better when I’m taking it off.”

            He elbowed Jack in the side. “Not in front of my family!”

            “Fine!”

            Both men heard the Doctor’s loud cough and both rolled their eyes simultaneously. The TARDIS gave a little lurch, sending the Jones family into a mad scramble for hand holds.

            Jack looked at Ianto’s parents and said, with a definitive tone, “Welcome to our world.”

            Yep, Christmas was definitely Ianto’s favorite time of the year.


	23. A Series of Firsts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary: A look at six of Annabelle’s first milestones in her life. Ianto/Jack. Part of the “Immortal Janto” series.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: There is no owning on my part!

First steps

            Annabelle was eleven months old when she took her first steps on her own. It had been during a serious problem when the TARDIS had been abducted with the children on-board. Donna, the Doctor, Jack, and Ianto had been frantic, alternating between problem-solving and being extremely furious as the aliens who had kidnapped the TARDIS (and their children). When they had finally managed to get the TARDIS back (mere seconds before the ship was set to explode), the first thing they had done was get into flight. Donna had the twins in her arms and Jack and Ianto were trying to coax Annabelle out of a corner. As soon as the little girl had recognized her fathers, she smiled that cute baby smile of hers and let go of the grating that she was using to hold herself up, taking a shaky step towards them.

            Ianto had been there first, catching her as she was about to fall. He swept her up and smiled through his tears. Jack was behind him, stroking Annabelle’s hair, proudly cooing over her.

            After that, her skills improved with time and both Jack and Ianto found that they enjoyed chasing her around the TARDIS, even after a long day. Both S.J. and Geoff were frequently around to join in playing with their young cousin, even forgoing school-work to play with Annabelle.

First words

            Her first word came two months later, when she was thirteen months old. Jack had wanted her to say, “Daddy,” and Ianto wanted her to say, “Dada.” Donna had pointed out how they were arguing semantics, but the two immortals refused to budge on their respected words. However, Annabelle, being the child of two very unique people, had made up own mind about her first word. She had looked up at the glowing coral of the TARDIS, one evening after dinner, waved a hand at it, and declared, “TARDIS!”

            The entire group had been quite surprised by that. For a month after, the TARDIS was humming brightly, with all the affection and love that she could muster for the little girl. The Doctor sailed around the ship with all the pride of an uncle when, shortly thereafter, Annabelle’s vocabulary expanded to include, “Unca Doctah.” Once Annabelle started talking, she kept getting better and soon she was speaking, even with the simple words and phrases of a toddler.

First skinned knee

            Jack had been there when she got her first scraped knee, when she was almost two years old. He had been watching Annabelle, S.J., and Geoff, while Donna, the Doctor, and Ianto were busy trying to solve a problem. Annabelle had accidentally fallen down, when she was chasing the twins. Her tears had him at her side within four seconds flat. Jack was quick to tend to her skinned knee, singing a lullaby as he did.

            Ianto nearly had a heart-attack when he saw the bandage on her knee, but Jack calmed him down.

First tricycle ride

            Gladys and Stuart had given Annabelle a tricycle for her third birthday. Annabelle had squealed with delight and was soon scurrying around on the thing. Jack and Ianto shared a knowing smile, since the tricycle would come back to the TARDIS with them.

            After that, it was a common occurrence to see Annabelle cruising around on her little pink and purple tricycle, Jack or Ianto trailing behind her nervously.

First crisis averted

            Annabelle wouldn’t be Ianto and Jack’s daughter if she didn’t save the world on occasion. Actually, the first time she did was very interesting because there had been a race of gnomes (actual gnomes) who had wanted to take over the world, when she was four years old.

            She had figured out how to defeat them – by bopping them on the nose.

            The Doctor had gaped like a fish for a good forty-five minutes after that, as Annabelle merrily sat on the couch in the control room, eating crackers. Donna had long since given up on controlling her laughter. Ianto and Jack were equally astounded at how their daughter had figured out a rather ingenious solution to the problem.

First day of school

            Both Jack and Ianto had been very nervous about Annabelle attending regular school on Earth. Granted, they both knew that it was important that she interact with other humans and grow up with a relative normal childhood (or as nervous as a childhood as she could have, given that her fathers were immortal and her uncle, aunt, and cousins were all Time Lords/Ladies). Still, the first day of school had brought out their anxieties.

            They had moved into a nice little house, at the edge of a suburb, not too far from Sylvia and Wilfred’s house, mainly because Ianto had pointed out that traveling was exciting and not conducive to a small child who was going to be attending school regularly. There would be time enough to travel on the TARDIS, once Annabelle was fully grown. Jack had agreed.

            Donna and the Doctor had understood since, while they did travel, they weren’t doing as frequently at the moment, since the twins were now almost thirteen and in school as well, about to start Year Nine. The TARDIS, for now, was content to sit in the backyard of a house around the corner from Jack and Ianto’s. This way, Donna had argued, they could still be close to one another.

            When they had brought Annabelle to her first day of Year One, she had been scared to leave her parents behind, but, with the encouragement of Ianto, she had timidly set out into the classroom, where Jack and Ianto had watched her approach another little girl, one who was playing with blocks by herself in the corner. The two watched as they begin tentatively playing together.

            And so, as their little girl entered school, Ianto and Jack settled down to enjoy what would be a very interesting time. A domestic life wasn’t necessarily the most common thing for either one of them at this point (traveling with the Doctor for as many years as they had been had made them adjusted to the weird), but this would be a new set of adventures.


	24. Sleepover at the Harkness-Jones House

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabelle has a sleep-over for her new school friends. Lots of crazy adventures ensue. Ianto/Jack. Part of the “Immortal Janto” series.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Sorry guys, I don’t own a thing here!

            It had been Ianto’s idea to begin with – have a sleepover for Annabelle, inviting some of her new friends from school.

            Jack had thought that it was a good idea, in theory, and Annabelle had squealed with delight when she heard. After all, Jack had rationalized, if they were having five little girls, ages five and six, it would be manageable. They had faced worse problems in the saving of the galaxy before.

            Normally, any father would tell Jack that those were fighting words – and famous last words. But Jack and Ianto weren’t the ordinary fathers. They could handle this.

            Annabelle had been keen to decorate invitations (that Ianto had carefully penned), giving it the glitz and glitter that only a small girl could. As the invitations went into school, Jack had received all of the calls from the parents. Each of the little girls invited had been very excited and their parents, having met both Jack and Ianto, were more than happy to go along with the plans, especially Jack mentioned something about dress-up and keeping the girls into the afternoon the day after.

            He could sympathize with the parents about enjoying a break from parenting for a little while. Donna and the Doctor had already cashed in a few baby-sitting nights so that Ianto and Jack could go out for a date night.

            Still, nothing could prepare Jack for the five girls surrounding Annabelle on the day of.

            The first few hours had gone over well. Annabelle had taken the girls to her play-room, where a carousing game of dress-up had taken place. Jack, when he had gone in to take snacks, had gotten roped into their very large dress-up doll. He emerged, after forty-five minutes, with make-up, glitter, fairy wings, a tiara, a boa, and a tutu.

            Ianto snickered behind his hand.

            “I didn’t know little girls could be so . . . forceful,” Jack said, indignantly.

            “That’s why I sent you in,” Ianto replied, recovering, rolling his eyes. “I have sisters.”

Jack growled a bit. “If it makes you feel any better, I think you pull it off better than anyone I’ve ever seen.”

            That did make Jack feel better and he gave Ianto a secret smile. “Just you wait until later.”

            He pulled Ianto into a little kiss, only to be disturbed by the feet of little girls, who, having exhausted dress-up for the time being, decided that they wanted to start movie time. Jack gave Ianto a begging look and the Welshman kissed him on the cheek and went to go put in the movie, Disney’s _Tangled_.

            As the girls watched, Jack scrubbed himself up, though he kept the boa on. Ianto heated up dinner, a very simple and delicious home-made pizza (which he had had the foresight to prepare in advance and freeze). Given that five- and six-year-olds were prone to changing their minds about food on a regular basis, he had made three separate kinds of pizza – cheese and pepperoni for the girls, and a Ianto-original for the adults (consisting of sausage, green peppers, pineapple, onion, and a chili-looking alien herb).

            Just as the movie was ending (and Rapunzel saved Eugene), Ianto brought out the pizza. Jack covertly watched the ending, smiling to himself, thinking about a very similar moment between himself and Ianto, many years earlier – only, with them, the kiss had been a hell of a lot better.

            Still, dinner went smoothly enough. Annabelle gave the rest of the girls the idea to play outside for a while. That went over well.

            Jack and Ianto kept an eye on the girls from the back porch, as they played in the generous backyard, chasing each other around and making up games, as the sky grew steadily darker.

            Finally, the girls tired down enough to come back inside and change into their pajamas. Jack didn’t know how they got their energy or where they kept it, but he was glad when they settled in to watch another movie, another Disney film, _Beauty and the Beast_ , as they munched on homemade s’mores, made courtesy Ianto (again).

            Jack covertly watched Ianto eat one. As he finished, Jack took great pleasure in taking his hand and gently licking off the melted chocolate and marshmallow. Ianto had to stifle a little moan, but Jack saw the way his eyes flashed in pleasure. He was so glad that the girls were all glued to the television screen at the moment.

            At last, the girls were tired enough to troop back up to the play room, where they laid out their sleeping bags in a haphazard fashion.

            “Daddy!” Annabelle called.

            “Yes, angel,” Jack replied, poking his head into the play room.

            “Will you tell us a story?” she asked, sweetly. The other girls cheered. Ianto nudged Jack in the side.

            “Only if your Tad helps out.” He was so getting back at Ianto for dress-up right now.

            “Okay!”

            It had been hard to gage a story appropriate for the little girls. Annabelle knew the TARDIS and would get the stories related to that, but they had explained, carefully, to her that most people didn’t know what the TARDIS was and they had to keep it a secret. Fortunately, one of the girls, Emma, gave Jack an idea.

            “Will you tell us a fairy tale, Mr. Harkness?”

            Jack looked at Ianto and smiled. “That sounds like a good idea.”

            He sat down and crossed his legs, pulling Ianto down next to him as he went. The girls gathered around them.

            “Once upon a time, not too long ago,” Jack began, grinning, “there was this very handsome captain –”

            “– who always wore a gray cape,” Ianto added.

            Jack glanced at him, eyebrow cocked in challenge, before he continued, “This captain liked to help people. For a while, he traveled around with this very smart man, before he decided to create his own team, to try and help as many people as possible. His team was very special. There was a talkative doctor, a pretty computer genius, a good police officer, and a very smart and organized archivist. They saved the world a lot. The archivist was the captain’s best friend. He was funny, kind, and made really great coffee. Soon they fell in love with one another. The captain knew that he had found the person he wanted to be with for the rest of his life. But, one day, there was this evil machine that was trying to take over their base.”

            “The archivist had been trying to help the machine because it had once been human,” Ianto continued, taking Jack’s hand. “But it didn’t work. The machine was completely evil now and there was no trace of humanity left. And then something terrible happened.”

            The girls were all entranced, staring at the two men with wide eyes.

            “What happened next?” one of the other girls, Lily, asked.

            “The machine was going on a rampage, destroying the team’s base. In the process, the archivist had gotten very hurt. He was dying. The captain was afraid that the archivist would die and he would be all alone again. So, he kissed the archivist and, just like in all of the stories, the archivist was healed through the power of true love.”

            All of the girls gave happy sighs at that.

            Ianto squeezed Jack’s hand. It was still a painful memory for Ianto. Lisa had been his last girlfriend.

            “But the machine still had to be stopped,” the Welshman continued. “The archivist couldn’t destroy the machine since the machine had been his good friend when it had been a human. So, the captain made a hard choice and destroyed the machine for the archivist.”

            “The archivist was very sad,” Jack picked up. “But, eventually, with the team’s help, he was able to move on and live happily ever after with the captain.”

            All of the girls giggled at that. Those giggles quickly turned into yawns.

            “I think it’s bedtime for all of you,” Ianto said. The girls gave token groans as they slid into their sleeping bags. He kissed Annabelle on the forehead. “Good night, girls. Sweet dreams.”

            After they had turned off the lights and shut the door, Jack drew Ianto into a tight hug.

            “I’m sorry if I dredged up memories of Lisa.”

            Ianto kissed his cheek. “It’s alright. That was a long time ago.”

            They walked down the hall and back downstairs, relatively silent. Back in the kitchen, Jack found his boa. He picked it up and grinned before walking over to Ianto, draping it around his husband’s neck. Pulling Ianto close to him, he whispered, in a husky voice, “You owe me a date night after today.”

            Ianto’s stormy blue eyes danced with light. “We still have tomorrow to deal with.”

            Jack smiled and groaned.

            Yet, as much as Jack made a fuss about being a dress-up doll, he secretly loved it. His daughter was worth it and he would face another day of being the play-thing of a group of little girls.

            To be perfectly honest, Ianto was right. Jack could pull off a tiara, a tutu, fairy wings, and a boa.


	25. Valentine's Day Romance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ianto and Jack have a romantic evening out on Valentine’s Day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nope, still no owning on my part.

            Valentine’s Day was the quintessential day of lovers and romantic day. Even for a couple like Ianto and Jack, one day every calendar year where they could over-indulge in romantic actions and get away with it by Earth standards was something neither one of them passed up.

            Ianto found that, while he didn’t necessarily enjoy all the glitz and glamor surrounding the day, the symbolism of the day was nice. It was always good to remind the one you loved that they were important to you, even if you did that every single day. Besides, Jack was all for big, grand gestures. Why shouldn’t Ianto return the favor every now and then?

            The day had started nicely. Ianto had been woken up by Jack trailing slow kisses down his neck, a sure sign of a good morning.

            He was guiltily glad that Sylvia and Wilfred had volunteered to baby-sit Annabelle for Valentine’s Day, because it was hard to have intimate moments with Jack when their daughter was home.

            Jack’s kisses were slow and tantalizing, leaving Ianto wanting more.

            When he made a move to escalate, Jack stopped him. “Wait until tonight,” Jack promised, a cheekily grin crossing his face.

            Ianto raised an eyebrow. Two could play this game.

            It was a slow day around the Harkness-Jones house. Since both he and Jack were working as consultants for U.N.I.T., there were a few small projects that they had to deal with. Ianto was a little surprised that they were working with another organization that dealt with the weird (especially since Torchwood Three was now defunct). Still, it was nice to be in that venue, at least for a few years.

            Jack tele-conferenced with a few people around the globe at mid-day, when Ianto left for two meetings regarding the processing of alien technology recovered from Torchwood One. It was astounding how much stuff that Torchwood One had amassed. They were still going through things many years later.

            So, around half past three that afternoon, as he was leaving the second of the two long meetings, his mobile rang.

            Ianto smiled as he saw Jack’s image pop up on the Caller ID. He answered.

            “Hello, Jack,” he said, smiling.

            “Happy Valentine’s Day, Ianto,” Jack replied.

            “You said that this morning,” Ianto reminded him. He heard Jack laugh. Ianto sat back down at the now-empty conference table.

            “I know, but I wanted to say it again.”

            “Well, in that case, Happy Valentine’s Day to you too.”

            He heard Jack shuffle something on the other end of the line. “So, we have reservations tonight.”

            Jack had said that he was going to take care of dinner, so long as Ianto was up for a long night of fun. Ianto wasn’t complaining. His husband had something big planned.  
            “Really, where?”

            There had to be that sly, sexy smile on Jack’s face at the moment. Ianto could hear it. “I’m not going to tell you, Yan. You’ll just have to wait and see.”

            “May I ask what time it is?”

            Now Jack laughed. “Be ready to go by six-thirty and all will be revealed in due time.”

            “Fine. I’ll see you back at the house. I’m on my way home.”

            “See you then. Love you, Yan.”

            “Love you too, Jack.”

            Ianto clicked off the phone, grinning. Jack did enjoy being sneaky whenever he got the chance to, so Ianto wasn’t going to discourage him now. Besides, Jack would be pleasantly surprised later.

            So, forty five minutes later, Ianto was walking into the house and slipping off his trench coat, hanging it up on the peg by the door, next to Jack’s coat. He smiled briefly, touching the gray coat. It smelled like Jack, for sure, and that was absolutely wonderful.

            “I’m home!” he called, a moment later, picking up his briefcase and the bouquet that he had gotten for Jack.

            “Taking a bath!” Jack’s voice filtered down the stairs, a few seconds later. His voice had _that_ tone to it. Jack only took a bath when he had something else planned.

            Ianto grinned and slowly walked up the stairs. Jack was going to have to suffer until he got there. Ianto had this morning to make up for.

            Finally, he walked into their bedroom and smiled. Carefully, he laid the bouquet on Jack’s side of the bed, pulling the wrapped package for Jack out of his briefcase. He set the package next to the bouquet so that Jack would be sure to see it when he walked back into the room.

            Then, Ianto shed his clothes and joined his husband in the tub.

            It was a rather enjoyable bath, to say the least. Jack, clearly, couldn’t wait until that night. They spent a wonder hour in the shower, making love, cleaning each other off, and then repeating the process.

            Finally, as the water was finally too cold for either one of them, they pulled themselves out and dried off, sharing kisses as they went.

            When they walked back into the bedroom, Jack saw the bouquet (nine roses of a rainbow of colors) and the package. Ianto watched the honest and happy smile cross Jack’s face. He walked over to the bed and picked up the bouquet, smelling the roses.

            “I thought we weren’t doing presents until after dinner?” Jack asked.

            Ianto walked over to him and kissed him on the cheek. “I couldn’t wait.” He smiled. “Go ahead. Open it.”

            Jack didn’t need to be told twice. He took the lid off of the package and gasped, pulling out the platinum photo-frame with a photograph of the two of them, with Annabelle, on the day that she was born with the words “Our Family” engraved across the top. Underneath was a scrapbook, which Jack pulled out and paged through. Ianto had carefully crafted it, placing pictures of their relationship up until that point, leaving space in the back for new ones to be added.

            “It’s cheesy, I know,” Ianto started, but Jack cut him off by pulling him into a tight hug.

            “It’s perfect. I love it.” Jack was smiling. “If we’re doing presents now, then you get yours too.”

            He smiled like a child as Jack pulled out a package of his own, handing it over to him. Opening it, Ianto laughed merrily.

            There was an assortment of his favorite teas inside of a beautiful, masculine travel mug. Around the mug, there was draped an antique pocket-watch. Ianto carefully turned over the pocket-watch and saw engraved on the back, “May our love grow as time goes.”

            “Thank you, Jack.” He kissed his husband. “I love it.”

            “Good.” Jack glanced at the clock. “We need to leave in a little over an hour.”

            “So we should be getting ready.”

            It took that until six-thirty, on the dot, for them to be ready to walk out the door because, when it’s Valentine’s Day, Jack took an exceptional amount of time to get ready. Mainly, Ianto knew, that had to do with his desire to help Ianto get dressed, which translated into slow kisses that turned into full-on make-out sessions, not that either one of them was complaining much.

            Finally, they did manage to leave the house. Ianto still didn’t know where they were going, but Jack did.

            Which was why Ianto was surprised when they arrived at the docks and boarded a yacht.

            His breath was taken away as a waiter escorted them into a dining room on the boat and sat them at a table in the corner, where they had an excellent view of both the windows and the dance floor that was surrounded by other small tables and loving couples.

            “You didn’t have to do this, Jack,” Ianto said, blushing a bit.

            Jack leaned over the table and kissed him. “It’s Valentine’s Day, Ianto. Besides, you’re completely worth it.”

            They shared a smile as another waiter came over to give them menus and take their drink orders.

            It was a lovely, romantic candlelit dinner, which turned into dancing. Ianto quite enjoyed being able to slow-dance with his husband without having to worry about anything. Having Jack close to him was comforting and so wonderful.

            Finally, when the yacht docked, they walked, hand-in-hand, back to the car and made their way home.

            That night, as they cuddled in bed, both thinking about their daughter, staying with her adopted grandmother and great-grandfather, Ianto smiled.

            “Happy Valentine’s Day, Jack.”

            “Happy Valentine’s Day, Ianto.”


	26. Rose-Colored Glasses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose Tyler comes back to her home universe, expecting things to be the same, only to find that things have changed a lot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys, but I own nothing.

            It felt so good to be back in her proper universe. The other universe had been nice and all, especially when she had had the copy of the Doctor, but it wasn’t the same, especially when she realized that he had been hiding his degrading condition from her.

            Apparently, he said, human bodies and Time Lord minds couldn’t mix successfully.

            Rose didn’t remember when she had looked into the Time Vortex, but she remembered what that had done to the Doctor. It had changed him, turning him into another person, who she loved equally as her first Doctor. Still, she thought that she should have noticed the changes in the clone – John, as he had insisted – in the two and a half years before he had died.

            He had been fine for the fest couple of years, acting just like Rose remembered. Then, he had become a little more cocky and abrasive. His ideas made a little more sense and he was more humane than Rose recalled (in either one of his incarnations).

            It had been the Time Lord-human Metacrisis. John had taken on some of Donna Noble’s personality. Donna Noble – the woman who changed the Doctor, Rose’s Doctor. Rose didn’t like the woman for that. If Rose remembered correctly, from her brief return to her home universe, Donna Noble was the red-haired woman, years older than Rose, who had managed to solve the problem and save the day, drawing the attention of both of the Doctors (away from Rose, much to the blonde’s chagrin).

            Still, if John had died from the metacrisis, no doubt Donna Noble did as well, leaving the field wide open for Rose to return and have her Doctor back. He loved her, she knew, because John had told her so many times.

            It had been hard, deciding to leave her parents, but they had been very happy together, rebuilding their relationship and their new son, Tony.

            Plus, it would be nice to see Mickey and Jack again. She missed Mickey, especially after he had decided to stay in their right universe, after his gran had died. It hadn’t been fair that he left without consulting her. And Jack? Well, Rose was attracted to him and he had flirted with her plenty of times. That kiss back before she looked into the Time Vortex had been brief and lovely.

            So, here she was, back home, where she belonged.

            Rose had a device from the alternate universe that she had adapted to track down the TARDIS’s residual trail, so that she could find it. She had been working on in the last three years, since John had died. (They had had eight years together before he had finally died.)

            She had run all over, tracking down the TARDIS, even being trooping into Wales, up to Cardiff and the surrounding area. Rose wasn’t a happy camper. In addition to trying to track down her Doctor, she had to get caught up on recent events.

            Apparently, something called “Miracle Day” had caused problems across the globe for a while, with no one dying.

            But finally, she managed to find the TARDIS.

            Rose was surprised to find it sitting in the backyard of a nice enough house in the middle of Chiswick. What was the Doctor doing in Chiswick?

            She straightened her back and strode, with confidence, up to the TARDIS and pushed open the door.

            “What?” she exclaimed as she walked inside, closing the door behind her. “Who are you?”

            A tall (and handsome) man, wearing dark jeans, a white button-down, a black tie, and a gray waistcoat was standing at the console. He appeared young, though there were gray streaks in his dark hair. The man’s blue eyes had hints of gray in them as he cocked his head to the side.

            This couldn’t be the Doctor! All of Rose’s sources had said that the Doctor hadn’t regenerated in years!

            “Oh, sorry, I didn’t know that the Doctor and Donna were having guests over,” the man said, with a Welsh accent.

            Rose gaped a moment. Did he say, “Donna”? Donna . . . as in, Donna Noble? Why wasn’t _Donna_ dead? Her John – her Doctor copy – had died!

            “I’m not a guest. I’m _Rose_.”

            The man paused a moment before nodding. “Right, I’ve heard about you. The TARDIS mentioned you before. She didn’t like having to travel across the dimensions in order to get you and your mum back to your dad.”

            “Who are _you_?” So, he wasn’t the Doctor, then. That was good. He was cute and all, but Rose didn’t go for guys in _waistcoats_. Who wore waistcoats?

            He smiled at her. “Ianto Jones. I live around the corner and I work with Donna and the Doctor. Traveled with them for years too.”

            “I don’t understand. Why is the TARDIS in someone’s backyard?”

            “Donna and the Doctor live here, so that they can have a stable environment while the twins are growing up.”

            “Wait, the Doctor married _Donna_?” This couldn’t be happening to Rose! After all this time and all of her effort, the Doctor had moved on – moved on! – from her. He loved her! John was a direct copy of the Doctor and he loved her.

            This Ianto raised an eyebrow, walking towards Rose with his arms crossed. Rose picked up on something odd about him. “What’s wrong with Donna?”

            “Nothing . . . It’s just, I didn’t think that he’s the marrying type.”

            “It’s been a long time since you’ve seen the Doctor. He’s not the same person he was since you went back to your universe.”

            Before Rose could respond, the door of the TARDIS opened. Rose turned as a little girl came running past her. She couldn’t be more than six, with dark hair in pigtails and a schoolbag on her back.

            “Tad!” the girl squealed, running up to Ianto, who scooped her up. “Auntie Donna said that you were in here.”

            “Hey, Annabelle,” Ianto said, kissing the girl on the cheek. “How was school today?”

            “Good!” the girl responded, smiling up at the man.

            “And where are your aunt and uncle?”

            “Aunt Donna is making dinner and Uncle Doctor said that he had to talk to people, but he’s coming out here soon.”

            Rose compared the little girl, Annabelle, with Ianto. They did look alike.

            Vaguely, she heard the door open. A surprised noise that sounded very familiar made her turn around.

            There was the Doctor – her beloved Doctor – with a surprised look on his face.

            “Rose!” he said, clearly in awe. “How – how are you here?”

            “I came back for you,” she said, smiling, walking towards him. “After John, your clone, died, I wanted to come back to you. It took me three years, but I did it”

            He smiled, vaguely, but Rose saw something else in his eyes, something that she didn’t recognize. It was heavier, older than any look she had ever seen from either the Doctor or John. It wasn’t just the ancient anger of a Time Lord. It was pure fury at its height.

            “You aren’t supposed to be here, Rose!”

            “What do you mean, Doctor?” Rose was confused. “This is my universe, my _home_ universe.”

            He ran his hands through his hair. “But you’ve been living in the other universe for so long, your body has adapted to that place. You’ll degrade until you die. I-I don’t know if there’s anything that I can stop it!”

            The Doctor pushed past her, stalking to the console. Ianto walked up beside him, putting the girl in his arms down. The Welshman – whoever he was – looked concerned. The girl held her father’s hand tightly, looking over her shoulder at Rose with bright blue eyes that looked very familiar to Rose.

            “Isn’t there some way to stabilize her code?”

            “The TARDIS might be able to find something, but that’s a stretch.”

             Ianto glanced back to Rose and sighed. “I’ll go get Donna. Between the three of us, we’ll get something figured out.”

            The man took his daughter with him as he left. Rose walked up beside the console, leaning against the railing. She briefly looked around the TARDIS control room. It was a little different from what she remembered. There were little signs of a family around. The coat rack had assorted jackets draped over it and there was a couch off to the side that Rose knew had never been there before. Even the lights seemed a little brighter. The TARDIS had a homier feel than she remembered.

            But Rose felt like she didn’t belong here. When she had been traveling with the Doctor, the TARDIS had been a bit distant, a bit unreal, and very alien. Rose had assumed that was just the way the TARDIS was, as seen from her perspective as a human. This? This wasn’t what she had expected. It all seemed like it should have been and Rose didn’t like that she felt out of place.

            It wasn’t _her_ TARDIS.

            Briefly, the lights in the room flashed, drawing Rose out of her reverie. Had the TARDIS picked up on her thoughts? Rose forgot the ship could do that.

            “So, Donna’s still alive then?”

            The Doctor paused and looked up at her, a little smile crossing his face. “Yeah. I had to suppress the Time Lord in her to keep her from dying. That made her forget everything we had been through together, but I would do anything to keep her alive, even if she couldn’t ever remember anything about me. She’s my best mate.”

            “I suppose she remembers you now. The TARDIS is here.”

            He nodded, laughing at some memory. “Ianto figured that one out. He had been traveling with me for a few years when he came up with a way of forcing a Vortex event on her.” The Doctor saw her confusion. “It’s easy, apparently, to do, especially when Naked Hide and Seek gets involved. Don’t ask. You don’t want to know. Anyway, Ianto would know better than I do about Vortex events. He’s Immortal, Rose. Jack’s the cause for that one.” The Doctor smiled. “Intimate relationships with Immortals are a good way to get a Vortex event to occur.”

            Rose raised an eyebrow. “Jack slept with _that_ guy?”

            The Doctor tilted his head to the side. “More than once. They’re married now. That’s their little girl you just met.”

            “Wow. I didn’t expect Jack to get married – to a guy, no less.”

            The Time Lord met her eyes. Something dark flashed across his eyes. “Rose, they’re more than happy. You have no idea what they had to go through a lot to get to where they are today. Jack had to think that Ianto was dead for a few years. It was for the future of the planet.”

            “What about you and Donna? You got married!” That grated Rose.

            “Yeah, we’ve been married for about fifteen years. Our twins are in Year Nine at school, a boy named Geoff and a girl named S.J. We named her after Sarah Jane Smith, who died shortly before the events of Miracle Day.”

            Rose gaped in surprise. “What?” Sarah Jane was dead? Rose liked the older companion, even if she felt that Sarah Jane had a more comfortable relationship with the Doctor than she did.  
            “Cancer. Her adopted son handled it well. He has K-9 with him.”

            “I can’t believe it.” Rose couldn’t believe that Sarah Jane had a son (even an adopted one) and that the Doctor had been fine with letting that boy keep K-9. K-9 should be with the Doctor. Rose had always assumed that it was just a kindness that the Doctor had given K-9 to Sarah Jane.

            “Yeah.”

            The door open and in walked Ianto with Annabelle, the red-head Rose vaguely recognized as Donna, and Jack Harkness. Donna nodded to Rose before walking over to the console, next to the Doctor. They began talking quickly and quietly, technical jargon being tossed out that went so over Rose’s head that she couldn’t even process. The two were finishing each other sentences in rapid succession and Donna began arguing a strange point that Rose couldn’t follow.

            Rose looked at Jack and grinned brightly. He was as handsome as ever, though Rose remembered, a moment too late, that he was married – to that Ianto. That point annoyed her. Jack didn’t seem like the kind of guy who would get married or be in an openly gay relationship.

            “Rose, what are you doing here?” Jack asked as he walked in.

            She walked up to him and hugged the American.

            “I came back.”

            He looked at her with a little smile, very subdued for Jack, in Rose’s opinion. She was expecting any number of sexual comments from him.

            “You’ve met my husband, Ianto, and our daughter, Annabelle,” he said, walking over to the Welshman and the little girl. He wrapped an arm around Ianto’s waist.

            “Yeah, we’ve met,” Rose said.

            Jack smiled. “Good. Oh, and if you ever get the opportunity, Ianto makes the best coffee in the known universe. The man’s a wiz in the kitchen, among other places.”

            Rose raised an eyebrow and Ianto shook his head, nudging Jack in the side, blushing a bit.

            “You’ll forgive Jack. The innuendos have gotten better over the past few years.”

            “I don’t mind,” Rose replied. “It’s good to hear some of Jack’s old jokes again. I have missed being around him – all of this.”

            The two men shared a look that Rose couldn’t read.

            A moment later, the Doctor gave a bright cheer, causing Annabelle to look at Jack.           

            “Did Uncle Doctor figure out the problem?” the girl asked.

            “More like, Aunt Donna did,” Jack answered, smiling down at her.

            Donna came walking over to them with device in her hand. For a few moments, she scanned Rose. The device gave a beep and a bright light flashed out over the device, covering Rose. It felt a little strange, light and comfortable, much like Rose remembered the TARDIS being.

            A few seconds after the light diminished, Donna backed away from Rose, an unreadable expression on her face. “That should do it. You should be stable enough to survive in this universe.”

            The Doctor came up beside Donna – his wife, Rose admitted to herself. She watched as the Time Lord wrapped an arm around the woman’s waist. Around them, the TARDIS flashed warmly. Donna shifted a tiny bit, her hair falling over her shoulder as she tilted her head to the side in a way that was very reminiscent of the Doctor.

            “So, how did you survive the metacrisis?” Rose was curious. By all rights, if Donna was still human, she shouldn’t be standing there. What did Donna have that made her so special to the Doctor?

            Donna smiled. “I’m a Time Lady – at least, for the most part. There’s still a little bit of human in me.”

            Rose looked back at the Doctor. “Aren’t you the last Time Lord?”

             “Not anymore.” The Doctor grinned that mad grin of his. “The Doctor-Donna was prophesized and, well, here we are.” He paused for a moment, clearly thinking. “Of course, with the twins around, there are more Time Lords and Ladies about.”

            “I don’t understand.”

            Ianto chuckled briefly. “Let’s just say, everything is where it’s supposed to be and all is good.”

            Rose shifted her weight from foot to foot. “So I came back for nothing then?”

            The Doctor looked at her. “Why did you come back, Rose?”  
            Oh, _now_ he asked.

            “For you, Doctor,” she admitted, honestly. “I came back because I wanted you. John, your clone, eventually died, a result of the metacrisis, he said. And, I missed you and loved you. I thought that you would . . .” Rose trailed off, seeing how happy the four in front of her were with each other. “Right, this was a bust. I guess I’ll go.”

            She turned towards the door.

            “Where?”

            Jack’s question was honest.

            Rose shrugged. “I guess, if you’re married and moved on, then Mickey has as well. So, I was thinking about heading up to Cardiff. It’s a nice enough area. I liked it, when I was up there.”

            The group shared a look and Jack nodded definitively, as if making a final point about something.

            “If you need anything, please let us know. You know where we are.”

            She nodded. “I will.”

            And, with that, Rose Tyler walked out of the TARDIS.

 


	27. Results of a Parent-Teacher Conferences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ianto and Jack go to a parent-teacher conference for Annabelle and they realize that they have to explain a few things. Emotions run high as a result.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you’re reading this, then you know that I don’t own anything.

            To be perfectly honest, the simple act of attending parent-teacher conferences were more entertaining (and productive) than a great deal of the meetings that either one of them had attended for U.N.I.T. As a result, both Ianto and Jack were fully focused on the conference, especially since this was a meeting regarding their only daughter.

            Ianto settled into the chair as Jack shook Annebelle’s teacher’s hand. The woman, Lara Johnson, smiled at the two men.

            “It’s good to have an opportunity to sit down and talk to the both of you,” she said. “Annabelle is bright girl and a wonderful student. She’s progressing very well for her age group.”

            Jack sat down. “Well, Annabelle’s a special girl.”

            The teacher looked between the two of them and shifted a few file folders on her desk, before opening it. “I know that this is a routine meeting, but I did want to take a moment to discuss Annabelle’s role in the class.”

            Ianto raised an eyebrow. He was intrigued.

            “Is there a problem?” he asked honestly.

            Annabelle sighed. “As you both know, Annabelle is a good girl and she never causes any disruptions in class. However, there are a few things that I am concerned about. Her imagination seems to be very overactive and she tells some very interesting stories.”

            “Such as?”

            “She talks outrageous tales about traveling to other planets and to different times.” Ms. Johnson smiled briefly at the two men before she continued. “I don’t know what your home life is like but I am concerned about her tales become a continued disruption for the rest of the class.”

            Ianto looked at his husband. Jack gave him a bashful look.

            They had been very careful to remind Annabelle constantly that she couldn’t tell people about their adventures with the Doctor or the oddities of their lives. Neither one of them could fault their daughter for sharing the “fairy” tales of her fathers’ lives and what she had experienced so far.

            “Annabelle does have an active imagination,” Jack said carefully. “I’m afraid she gets that from me.”

            Sympathetically, Ianto reached over and took Jack’s hand, squeezing it. “We try to keep her as grounded as possible. Jack and I both apologize for any problems that she has caused in class.”

            The teacher nodded. “Understandable.”

            “Is there anything other problem?” Ianto asked.

            Ms. Johnson shook her head. “No. Annabelle is a delightful student. She is inquisitive and engaging. I have enjoyed teaching her so far this year and I look forward to the rest of the year with her.”

            “We’re both glad.”

            Ianto didn’t have to look at Jack to know that his husband was tense. He could feel it in Jack’s hand. The American Immortal was very easy to read, if you knew him.

            They chatted for another half hour, as Ms. Johnson updated them on Annabelle’s progress in school. She seemed to be doing well, all things considered. Ianto was fully cognizant of the fact that they couldn’t tell Annabelle’s teacher that they were both Immortal and that Annabelle’s extended family included several time travelers. Heck, no one knew if she was Immortal yet. The Doctor said that they wouldn’t be able to detect that until she was older.

            Finally, as they walked out of the classroom, Ianto released a sigh of relief.

            Jack squeezed his hand, pulling him a little closer. He wrapped an arm around Jack’s waist and leaned a head against his shoulder as they walked slowly down the hallway towards the school’s exit.

            “Annabelle didn’t know any better,” Jack said idly.

            Ianto nodded. “I know. She’s a little girl and she wanted to impress her friends.”

            “We’ll a sit-down with her when we get home.”

            He looked at Jack. “You know what I was thinking about in there, Jack?” he asked.

            “What, Yan?”

            They slowed down and sat down on a hallway bench. Jack took his hands in his, steadying Ianto.

            “What if Annabelle isn’t immortal? What if she’s mortal?” He released a ragged breath, belatedly glad that the hallway was empty. “I don’t want her to have to grow up, watching us never age and then eventually die. I don’t think I could handle that.”

            “I know that,” Jack admitted. “That thought crosses my mind every day too.” He leaned closer to Ianto, hugging him tightly, gulping back a sob. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. If she’s mortal, we’ll enjoy what years we have with her.”

            Ianto heard the sorrow and pain of experience in Jack’s voice. Thoughts about everything that Jack had sacrificed when the 456s, the love of his daughter and the life of his grandson rose in his mind. In that moment, he promised himself that he would do everything in his power to Jack from ever having to experience that pain again.

            “We’ll do what we can for her,” Ianto promised. “But we still have to tell her to be mindful of what stories she shares with her classmates.”

            The two Immortals shared a look and they both understood what was unsaid.

            After a few moments, when they had both composed themselves, Jack stood up and extended his hand to Ianto, pulling him up.

            “Let’s go home, Yan.”

            “Yes, let’s go.”


	28. Kitten Storms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During a thunderstorm, Ianto finds a new pet for the family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish I could say that I owned, but sadly, I cannot. I don’t own anything.

            He gritted his teeth at the down-pour. A streak of lightening flashed through the sky, followed by a deafening roll of thunder, mere moments later. Ianto silently cursed himself for not bringing an umbrella with him to work.

            It was just one of those days.

            Pulling his coat a little closer to him, Ianto took a deep breath and stepped out into the torrential storm. Quickly, he began the route that would take him to his car (and dry cover).

            For a moment, he cursed being called in for an emergency U.N.I.T. meeting that day. It was his damn own fault for forgetting to check the weather report to see if it was going to rain. He should have figured that, by the looming clouds overhead when he left the house, there was going to be mad storms, but he had assumed that he would miss the worst of it.

            Still, there was the promise of a nice warm dinner when he got home. It was Jack’s turn to cook and he had made chili.

            Jack had taken the afternoon off and had been there when Annabelle had gotten home from school. Ianto smiled. They were able to work their schedules that, on most days, one of them was at the house when school let out. On the days when they both were wrapped up in their work, Donna or the Doctor were usually around. The TARDIS was an excellent baby-sitter, especially when the Doctor was being extremely scatter-brained or Donna had to juggle several things at the same time (usually cleaning up after the Doctor’s insanity).

            Ianto picked up his pace a bit, knowing that it was utterly useless for him to stay dry at this point. He was drenched.

_Not much further now_ , he thought, seeing the car-park ahead.

            But, despite the rain and the promise of home, Ianto stopped.

            He tilted his head and strained to be sure if what he had heard was right. A moment later, he heard the soft noise again. Ianto swiveled his head around, eyes searching for the source. Finally, he saw it and hissed a bit.

            A small kitten ungainly splashed in a puddle, clearly lost and clearly without a home.

            His heart tugged at the sight and he immediately bent down to scoop up the small thing. It shook as he cradled it close to his chest, trying to shield it from the worst of the rain. Ianto ran the rest of the way to his car, quickly unlocking it and sliding into the driver seat, tossing his briefcase into the passenger seat.

            The kitten mewed pitifully, looking up at Ianto with sad green eyes.

            “Poor little thing,” Ianto cooed.

            He dug into the glove compartment and smiled victoriously when he came up with a dish towel that Jack must have stuck in there a while back. Ianto quickly wrapped it around the kitten, drying it off.

            The kitten, a female by the looks of it, was a tortoiseshell. She was a pretty kitten, no doubt, though clearly unhappy about being caught in the rain. She was skinny and small, a stray, if Ianto had to guess. Where her mother was, he couldn’t say, but it looked as if she hadn’t eaten in a while.

            As he dried her off, Ianto started the car and turned the heat up. The kitten calmed down enough to nestle into his lap, curling up into a ball inside the towel. He smiled a bit.

            “You’re coming home with me, little girl,” he said, definitively.

            The kitten mewed happily at him, giving him a wide-eyed and knowing look.

            Ianto chuckled a bit and clicked his seatbelt into place. Keeping a hand firmly on the animal in his lap, he carefully guided the car out of the lot and onto the street.

            It took him longer than usual to navigate his way home, through the storm. Finally, he pulled up in front of the house. Ianto groaned. The storm hadn’t lightened up one bit and he had managed to dry off (for the most part).

            After turning off the car and unbolting his seatbelt, Ianto gathered up the kitten, holding her under his coat, as he grabbed his briefcase. Steeling himself, he got out of the car and, locking it automatically, hurried into the house.

            Jack must have seen his headlights because he was at the front door, opening it for Ianto.

            Annabelle was there as well, the eight-year-old girl launching herself at him. Ianto wrapped dropped his briefcase and wrapped his arm around her in a tight hug.

            “Hello, Annabelle,” he said.

            “I was worried about you, Tad,” she replied.

            Ianto smiled and kissed the top of her head. “No worries now, my girl. Besides, I brought something home with me.”

            “Really?” Jack asked as he kissed Ianto on the cheek. “Do tell.”

            The innuendo in Jack’s voice was carefully veiled, as such innuendos were, when they were around Annabelle or the twins, but Ianto caught it. He rolled his eyes in exasperation at his husband as he withdrew his hand from his coat.

            Annabelle gasped in delight at the sight of the kitten.

            “A kitten, Tad? Where did you find it?”

            “She was wondering around and I saw her on my way home.” Ianto looked at Jack briefly and saw the flash of emotions in his eyes. “I hope you don’t mind if you get a pet, Annabelle.”

            His daughter squealed in delight as she carefully took the kitten from him. Annabelle cradled the animal, who, with that indefinable instinct that all animals have, snuggled close to her, knowing that she was home. Ianto smiled. They were a good fit. Annabelle, though only eight, seemed to have the maturity beyond her years to understand the significance of the pet.

            Ianto felt Jack take his hand and squeeze it.

            “Can we keep her?” Annabelle asked, looking up at her two fathers.

            Silence hung in the air for a moment. Ianto looked at Jack again. A brilliant smile split across Jack’s face.

            “Of course, little girl!” Jack said, enthusiastically. “A pet is just what this family was missing.”

            Annabelle grinned. “Does she have a name?”

            “Not yet, but you can name her if you like.”

            Ianto watched as his daughter bounced happily into the living room, where she sat on the floor. The kitten toddled off of her lap, cautiously exploring her new environment.

            Jack slipped a hand over Ianto’s cheek, cupping it and tilting it towards his face. He leaned in and gently kissed Ianto.

            “So you really did find a kitten on the way home.”

            “Yeah. It’s a rash decision, but Annabelle’s at that age where a pet is a good idea.”

            The American immortal smiled. “We’ll get all of the supplies for the kitten tomorrow, while Annabelle’s at school.”

            "I think we’re going to need to feed the kitten as soon as possible. She looks hungry.”

            Jack nodded. Both looked at Annabelle, who was gently petting the kitten. Ianto smiled as the kitten rolled onto her back, her little paws batting at Annabelle’s teasing fingers. A pet was a big responsibility, but Ianto knew that they could handle it.

            And so, that’s how the Harkness-Jones family got a kitten, who was shortly named Thetis, after the Greek sea nymph.


	29. Making the Hard Decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A conversation between friends causes Rhys Williams to make the hardest decision of his life. Luckily, Ianto and Jack are there to help him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nope, I seriously do not own. Sorry.

            Jack sighed heavily, studying the glum-looking man sitting across the table from him. Rhys wasn’t happy, anyone could see. Hell, Jack had seen the toll that his marriage was taking on him and he had quietly urged Rhys to do whatever it took to get himself back to a better place.

            Ianto had seen it too.

            The immortal Welshman had seen long before Jack had. He had suffered fifteen years, knowing that Gwen just wasn’t healthy for Rhys before he had “come back from the dead” and had gone through ten years almost of watching the horrible effect that Gwen was having on her husband.

            Still, there was only so much that either one of them could do to help Rhys. Both men liked Rhys. He was a good and honest man. As such, they made regular visits to Rhys and Anwen, usually when Gwen wasn’t around because both men had troubles being around her.

            Which is what brought them up to Cardiff today.

            It had worked that they were able to get Rhys alone – with some help from Donna, of course.

            Donna had devised a “girl day” with Martha, in which they took S.J., Anwen, and Annabelle to a spa for pampering. The Doctor and Mickey were watching Geoff and Theo, letting the two boys explore the TARDIS.

            By an intense stroke of luck, when Gwen found out, she had merely sniffed and said that she had plans with a friend from the police force to go shopping and, therefore, could not attend Donna and Martha’s “girl day,” not that either one of the two wanted her there. They merely wanted the three girls to have fun together. It was nice to get Anwen away from her mother. She did like her odd cousins.

            Still, Jack looked at Rhys, who was rubbing his forehead tiredly.

            “I thought that Gwen would settle down after you and Jack settled down,” he admitted, raising his eyes to look at Ianto. Ianto reached over and patted Rhys’s arm.

            “That was a good thought, Rhys.”

            Rhys shook his head. “For a while, it was alright, but then there was this nice woman on the police force, a Rose Tyler. That’s when things got worse with Gwen and she started complaining and nagging worse than ever.”

            Ianto looked at Jack.

            “I’m afraid that Rose’s presence here in Cardiff is partially my fault, Rhys,” Jack admitted. “She wasn’t supposed to be back in this universe ever again, but somehow she found her way back. I never thought that she and Gwen would ever become friends.”

            “None of us thought that this would happen, Jack,” Ianto reminded him. Jack took his husband’s hand and squeezed. “There was always the possibility that they would meet, but they seemed very different personalities to me, so it didn’t cross my mind. It should have. It should have been obvious.”

            Ianto did have a point. It _should_ have been obvious, but none of them saw it.

            Rose knew who Gwen was, even in passing. She must have tracked Gwen down after she came to Cardiff, even going so far as to join the Cardiff police force. Rose, no doubt, had been anxious to find someone who knew about the greater universe, someone she could talk to about her experiences. Gwen would have been an open target for that wish, especially since Gwen knew who Jack was.

            It seemed that Gwen’s own desires for her old life with Torchwood and her still-present lust after Jack had flourished with her continued friendship with Rose.

            “Yeah, but what can I do?”

            Rhys’s question was honest, but it was hard.

            “Can’t tell you,” Jack admitted. “The ball’s in your court, Rhys. It’s up to you to decide how you’re going to deal with the situation. The easiest option you have, it seems, would be to file for a divorce.”

            The look in the mortal Welshman’s eyes cut to Jack’s heart.

            “It wouldn’t be fair to Anwen. She’s only fourteen. Having her parents separate at this point would hurt her. I don’t want her to have to decide between us.”

            Ianto smiled softly. “Rhys, if Anwen’s given the choice between you and Gwen, I’m pretty sure that the scale’s going to come out in your favor.”

            “How do you reckon?”

            “She loves you. You’re her Da. You’re the one who’s always been there for her at every major point in her life – on her first day of school, when she’s sick, when she needs a shoulder to cry on, at her school events.” Ianto chuckled. “Besides, Gwen hasn’t made enough effort to bond with her daughter outside the bare minimum to keep Anwen from growing too distant. You’ve seen it too.”

            Jack couldn’t fault Ianto’s logic. He had watched, over the years, as Rhys doted on his precious daughter. He was always there for, though never too over-bearing. Gwen, on the other hand, had often found excuses to miss out on events, both big and small, usually begging off for work reasons. Rhys had relayed to them, regularly, that her actions angered him.

            Rhys turned the cup in his hand. The man was going to need something stronger than coffee before the day was done.

            “I’m scared though,” he said quietly, after a moment. “I’ve been with Gwen for so long that I don’t know how to live on my own.”

            The fact that Rhys refused to look at either one of them was indicative of his fear.

            Jack leaned forward and firmly stated, “You can do this, Rhys. Whatever you decide to do, you can survive it. But you have to confront Gwen on her actions. If it comes to a divorce, then so be it.”

            The American immortal felt his husband pat his hand.

            “And if it does to come to that,” Ianto continued, “then it only proves that Gwen wasn’t the right woman for you.”

            Rhys looked at Ianto with wide eyes.

            “It’s been almost eighteen years that we’ve been married, Ianto. I’m not as young as I once was and I don’t have the luxury of immortality like the pair of you.”

            “Even so,” Jack shot back, “you still have many years of life ahead of yourself. Don’t sell yourself short, Rhys. You’re a good man and there’s someone out there who’ll appreciate you, want you, and love you for exactly the man you are, not take you for granted.”

            “I wish I had your confidence.”

            Jack shook his head. “We’re getting ahead of ourselves here. There’s still Gwen to deal with.”

            Even as those words left Jack’s mouth, the front door of the house opened. Two sets of feminine voices floated towards the kitchen, which they all recognized instantly. The three men shared a look.

            “You can do this, Rhys,” Ianto said, encouragingly. “Remember, we’re here for you.”

            Rhys gave Ianto a weak smile as Gwen and Rose trooped into the kitchen, laden with bags.

            The women paused at the sight of Ianto and Jack sitting at the kitchen table, opposite Rhys.

            “Jack!” Rose said brightly, her eyes flashing with delight. “It’s been ages!”

            At that comment, Jack rose from the table, pulling the mask of control that he had long ago mastered over his face as he looked at Rose. Even now, the blonde woman was ignoring Ianto, though she clearly knew that they were married and long in love with one another. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gwen gape at the clear affection that Rose had on her face for Jack. Didn’t Gwen know that Rose had pined after Jack, even in the slightest?

            “Only two years, Rose,” he replied, his voice even. “Though I see you’ve made friends here.”

            Rose smiled demurely. “Of course. Gwen’s been a wonderful friend since I came back home. She understands.”

            As the woman in front of him rolled her shoulders, Jack finally noticed what she was wearing. He could hardly believe what he was seeing.

            Despite the more than twenty (Earth) years since she had aged since she had started traveling with the Doctor, Rose Tyler still dressed like she was a young woman. Jack didn’t know what game she was playing, but he could recognize a desperate attempt when he saw one. He didn’t know if it was her vain attempt to capture the attention of the Doctor or him (or both), but the outfit that Rose was wearing was down-right wrong for a woman of her age.

            Jack shook his head and looked at Ianto, who gave him one of his patented eye-rolls.

            “Well, we should be getting back to the TARDIS,” Jack commented. “No doubt Geoff and Theo have run Mickey and the Doctor ragged. We all know what Donna’ll say if the TARDIS is a wreck when she and Martha comes back.”

            Rose bristled some. Okay, so maybe Jack making a pointed attack on how everyone else has moved on, but that was merely the hard truth that Rose needed to hear.

            “You have to admit, that’d be a discussion you’d love to hear,” Rhys said, smiling as he rose from the table.

            “Hear, but not see,” Ianto amended, rising as well. Rhys laughed, nodding. Ianto reached over and shook Rhys’s hand. “It’s good to see you as always, Rhys.”

            “You too, Ianto. Kiss Annabelle for me.” Rhys looked to Jack and extended his hand to him, which Jack took easily. “Don’t be a stranger, Jack.”

            “I’ll try not to be,” he answered. “Give Anwen a hug for us when Donna drops her off.”

            Rhys smiled and nodded.

            With that, Jack took Ianto’s hand and the two men took their leave. But they didn’t get far from the house before they were followed.

            “Jack! Ianto!” Gwen called, as they walked towards the gate.

            Both turned to look at her.

            “Yes, Gwen.” Ianto’s face was bordering on pure fury. Jack saw what was boiling in his eyes and he knew that it wouldn’t be long before the Welshman burst. He still couldn’t forgive Gwen for what she had done, all those years ago.

            “Did you really have to treat Rose the way you did?”  
            Jack wrapped an arm around Ianto’s waist.

            “Sometimes, people have to learn the hard way that people change and move on. Rose hasn’t quite gotten that into her head yet. No doubt, she inside sputtering to Rhys about Ianto and me,” he said, meeting Gwen’s dark eyes. “You should pay attention because you don’t seem to realize the negative effects your own actions have had on your personal life.”

            She put her hands on her hips and scowled at him. “What is that supposed to mean?”

            “You’ve lost your husband, Gwen,” Ianto said, his voice deadly cool. “Rhys has put up with you for all these years and he’s seen the kind of woman you are. He’s had enough and, unless you drastically change your tune, you’ll lose not only him, but your daughter as well.”

            “How dare you, Ianto Jones!” Gwen exclaimed, walking towards Ianto. When they were mere inches from one another, she slapped him. “How dare you pass judgment on my life? You don’t know me as a wife, a mother!”

            Something inside Ianto snapped and reshaped. Jack saw that change the millisecond it happened. He dropped his arm from Ianto’s waist.

            Ianto needed to do this. Gwen had had it coming for a long time.

            “Get your head out of your ass, Gwen,” Ianto said, his anger building. “You claim to be a good mother, but where were you when Anwen got the flu, or strep throat, or the chicken pox? Where were you when her best friend moved away and she was devastated? Where were you during her school plays or when she wanted to try out for the hockey team? When she got the best grades in her year? And what about Rhys? He’s been working his ass off to be a good husband to you and a good father to Anwen. He works as hard as he can, but he still manages to be around for Anwen.”

            Gwen made to answer, but Ianto held up a hand, silencing her.

            “You claim to be a good mother, Gwen, but I fail to see it. You put your career and your personal interests ahead of what’s really important – Rhys and Anwen. If you loved either one of them, they would come first. Living the quiet, simple life is never enough for you.”

            She was fuming. “Not all of us can have the ‘quiet, simple life’ like you, Ianto. Some of us have to work for a living.”

            “I would do anything, if Jack, Annabelle, and I could have that life, Gwen, but I know that we never can. We never will.” Ianto struggled for a moment, before he continued. “Jack and I are immortal. Annabelle could well be immortal as well. We don’t know yet. Our daughter could die long before us, and that breaks my heart every day. You don’t know what blessings you have, Gwen, and now you’re going to lose what so many would kill for.”

            She gaped like a fish, Ianto’s words finally sinking in.

            “Go back to Rhys, Gwen,” Ianto said coldly. “He needs to talk with you.”

            Ianto turned on his heel and stormed away. Jack knew that it would be a while before he completely worked out his anger. He would join his husband in a moment, after he settled one more thing with Gwen.

            “Rhys is our friend, Gwen. He’s been reliable for many years,” Jack informed her. “Both Ianto and I care about him and neither one of us like to see him getting hurt.”

            “Jack . . .”

            Her voice was pleading now, but Jack refused to give in. Once upon a time, he might have listened to her plaintive tones, when he didn’t know any better, but that time was in the past and would stay in the past.

            “Don’t do anything that will cause Anwen excessive pain. She’s a smart girl and has a bright future ahead of her. Do what’s right for her, even if you lose a lot.” Jack turned to follow Ianto. He paused and looked back at Gwen. “If you’re going to continue to be friends with Rose, then I should warn you that any future you have with Rhys and Anwen as a family will be severely limited.”

            Leaving Gwen fuming on her front lawn, Jack went after his husband.

            It didn’t take him too long to catch up with Ianto. One look at the Welshman told Jack exactly what he was thinking.

            Jack grabbed his arm and pulled him for a hug. Ianto was trembling.

            “It’ll be alright,” he whispered.

            “How can we be sure?” Ianto whispered back.

            For a moment, Jack thought. Then, he replied, “We can’t be sure, but I know that Rhys is a strong man, underneath it all, and he’ll do the right thing for Anwen.”

            “Gwen’ll never change though.”

            Ianto was right. He usually was about these kinds of things. “And that means that we’ll have to be there for Rhys and Anwen, because they’ll need our support even more.”

            After a few minutes, they finally parted.

            The dark fury was still in Ianto’s eyes. It would be a long time before his anger at Gwen was put to rest. Jack knew that the likelihood of Ianto ever being alone with his countrywoman again was nil. He felt similar anger and distrust at Gwen, though Jack recognized that Ianto’s feelings towards the woman were more deeply rooted than his own were.

            Kissing Ianto gently, he led his husband back towards the TARDIS, where Jack hoped that the chaos of that part of their lives would be able to push Gwen firmly out of Ianto’s mind for the time being.

            And, as they arrived, it did.

            Though, hours and hours later, when they were settled at home and Annabelle was tucked safely into bed, Thetis curled up in her cat bed in Annabelle’s room, the message that they had been waiting for arrived.

            It was an e-mail from Rhys, telling them, in simple terms, that he had addressed the problems with Gwen and that they would be getting a divorce. Rhys said that he would be pushing for custody of Anwen, though he wouldn’t deny Gwen visitation rights. It would be better for Anwen if she stayed with her father most of the time.

            Jack held Ianto close to him, as they read that message together. He promised Ianto that they would do everything that they could to ensure that Rhys got custody.

            He would e-mail those sentiments to Rhys later, but Ianto needed to hear it now.

            It wasn’t going to be easy for Rhys and Anwen, but Jack knew that the road was going to rougher on Gwen.

            Strangely, Jack felt okay with that.


	30. It's My Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabelle’s tenth birthday brings celebrations of several kinds and adventures too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry kids, unless the zombie apocalypse comes, I won’t have any ownage here.

            One decade . . . how fast it had gone for them.

            Exactly ten years prior, Jack and Ianto had welcomed their precious baby girl into the world. Ten years ago, the little blue-eyed girl had nestled herself down into Jack’s arms and they had found the family that both had been waiting for.

            As such, it was only natural that both men would want to celebrate this milestone in their daughter’s life with a party.

            The invitations had been sent and responses had come in due time. A small contingent of Annabelle’s school friends were, including girls like Emma and Lily, who had stuck with Annabelle since they had all started school. On top of that, they had Ianto’s entire family come in from Wales, not to mention their extended TARDIS family. Martha, Mickey, Theo, Donna, the Doctor, Geoff, S.J., Wilfred, and Sylvia were all present. And, very importantly, Rhys and Anwen were coming as well.

            And Rhys was bringing a lady friend with him.

            The Welsh mortal had been very hesitant about asking the two immortals if it would be alright if he brought the woman he was seeing with him. Annabelle’s birthday part was a family thing and, though Rhys was considered family, he was unsure if everyone else would be alright with it.

            Both Ianto and Jack had assured him that it would be alright. Annabelle had ended that conversation, when she had overheard, by grabbing the phone from Jack and telling Rhys that his girlfriend had to come, since “she was the reason why Uncle Rhys was so happy nowadays.”

            After that, it was all settled then.

            Personally, Ianto was glad that Rhys was bringing his girlfriend (though Rhys was hesitant to use that term). The woman, who was named Eleanor, was divorced (like Rhys) and had a son in university. According to Rhys, she worked at the hospital as a nurse, had married young, and had divorced her unscrupulously horrid husband eight years prior. But, most importantly, Eleanor doted on the sixteen-year-old Anwen, who had taken to her rather quickly. The older woman seemed to recognize that Anwen could have totally hated her for dating the girl’s father, but that wasn’t the case.

            So, when the trio had arrived at the Harkness-Jones house, for Annabelle’s party, Ianto had the door open even before they had rang the doorbell. (Ianto had the TARDIS to thank for that one, since the old girl was parked casually on the sidewalk.)

            “Hello Rhys, Anwen,” he said, shaking the man’s hand and hugging the girl jovially. He looked at Eleanor. “You must be Eleanor. Rhys has told me so much about you.”

            She blushed a bit as they shook hands. “Thank you so much for including me. Rhys and Anwen can go on for hours about you and your family.”

            “Well, when you’ve been friends as long as we have, it’s easy for that to happen.”

            Ianto stepped aside to let them in. The conversation quickly turned with the arrival of Annabelle and Jack, both of whom greeted the new arrivals happily.

            Mere moments later, Eleanor was thrown into the fray as she was introduced to the extended family as well as the few other adults present. Anwen wandered off to join Theo and the twins in their “big kid” escapades, which seemed to consist of keeping the TARDIS company and filling up water balloons for whatever reason.

            As he stood on the back porch overlooking the back yard, Ianto smiled. Jack slipped an arm around his waist and he leaned his head against Jack’s shoulder.

            “It’s a good turn out,” he commented idly.

            “Well, of course, everyone loves Annabelle.”

            Ianto chuckled at Jack’s comment.

            “Eleanor seems nice.”

            Jacke made an assenting noise. “If she can survive an evening with Rhys’s weird adopted family, then she can survive anything.”

            How true Jack’s words proved to be. Everything was going so well . . . which why Ianto wasn’t too surprised when something catastrophic occurred.

            Just as they were about to bring out the cake for the birthday girl, a large flash of fire shot across the top of the house and skimmed into the back yard. Screams filled the air and nine figures jumped into action instinctively as two more fireballs streaked into the back yard.

            As Ianto and Jack converged with Mickey, Martha, Donna, and the Doctor, Rhys was already well on his way of rounding up the guests and shielding Eleanor as well as he could, while the twins hauled out their water balloons. Suddenly, the two’s fixation on the water balloons made more sense. But he pushed that thought out of his mind as he saw Annabelle between Theo and Anwen.

            Briefly, he smiled at his daughter before turning his attention to the fire creatures before him.

            Ianto had his gun drawn the moment he sensed trouble. It was a good thing that he and Jack were usually armed. Years of averting trouble with the Doctor and with Torchwood made them a bit paranoid.

            He knew the Doctor’s opinions on guns but the Doctor would have to forgive them later, since Ianto wasn’t the only one with a gun in hand. Jack and Mickey were both similarly armed. Martha, on the other hand, had enough foresight to bolt into the house and locate the fire extinguisher.

            Donna had her sonic screwdriver out and trained on the lead of the triangle of the fire creatures.

            “Who are you?” the Doctor asked, his voice neutral. “Why are you here?”

            The lead fire creature tilted his head to the side, studying the Doctor. Ianto assumed it was a male, since it had the shape of a male.

            “This world is rising and we will claim it as our own,” the creature replied in a croaking voice.

            “Really? And on who’s authority?”

            “Ours.”

            Each of the trio of fire creatures extended their hands. Large fire balls formed in their hands.

            “Doctor?” Jack called, his voice a tense warning.

            “I know!” The Doctor took a step closer to the fire creatures. He had their attention – or a part of it. “You listen to me, Earth is not for you to claim. You hear me? A lot of races have tried, in the past and in the future. None of them have succeeded. What makes you think you can?”

            “Because fire burns and fire destroys.” The lead creature laughed a horrible laugh. “We know who you are, Doctor. We have seen you before. You burn. You destroy. You are just like us.”

            Ianto watched as the Doctor shook his head. “I’m nothing like you.”

            “How?”

            The Doctor laughed darkly. “Well, for one, I wouldn’t come barging in here and ruin a perfectly good birthday party.” A fireball got thrown at the Doctor’s head, which he avoided. Geoff launched a water balloon at the fireball and doused it. “You shouldn’t have done that,” the Doctor chided. “See, you party-crashed on the wrong birthday party. I’m particularly fond of my niece and her fathers don’t take well to people who try to harm their daughter. So, if I were you, I’d leave, right now.”

            “Never!”

            Everything happened at once.

            The fire creatures began launching fireballs into the crowd. As they did, S.J. and Geoff fired water balloons at will, hitting most of the fireballs in mid-air (thanks to their Time Lord genetics). Martha took off into the crowd, fire extinguisher in hand, to take care of what the twins missed. Guests scattered, diving for safety. Jack, Ianto, and Mickey began firing at the fire creatures. Donna had her sonic screwdriver launching blasts at the creatures as well while the Doctor ran like a madman to the TARDIS.

            People screamed. Ianto kept an eye on Annabelle. He felt a surge of relief rush through him as he saw her grab Theo and Anwen, pulling them in the direction of the TARDIS. Even with the Doctor trying to solve the problem at hand there, the time machine would do everything in her power to protect the children.

            Still, as he scanned the crowd, Ianto saw Rhys ushering people out, keeping his calm despite the fire around him.

            But something bad had to happen, as always.

            “Duck!” Ianto called, as he saw a fireball escape the water balloon.

            Rhys responded in a second, the fireball hitting the grass. Ianto turned to see another fireball heading in the direction of Eleanor.

            Without thinking, Ianto made a mad dash for the woman and tackled her, even as the fireball hit him square in the back. Intense pain shot across his back as the fire burned through his waistcoat. He heard Jack scream his name.

            Moments later, he felt the spray of the fire extinguisher on his back. Martha hissed and, as he pulled himself up, Eleanor gasped. No doubt there were intense third-degree burns. There was certainly enough pain, but Ianto fought through it. The burns would heal in a matter of minutes.

            He tightened his grip on his gun and stalked towards the fire creatures.

            Ianto saw the Doctor return from the TARDIS, a device in his hands, but he had to speak to the creatures. He fired one warning shot into the air. Silence fell.

            The creatures were focused on him now.

            “You have one more chance to leave,” Ianto said, his voice deadly. “One more chance. If you don’t, you will suffer a fate worse than death. Believe me, death would be too kind.”

            He had a fireball in his face.

            “We will never retreat.”

            “Fine then.” Ianto looked to the Doctor and nodded.

            The Doctor pressed a button and the three creatures were engulfed in a bright light. A moment later, as the light dimmed, the creatures were gone.

            “Where’d they go?” Mickey asked.

            “A few hundred miles above the reaches of the Sun,” the Doctor replied. “They’ll feel the warmth and burn of the Sun for the rest of their lives but never be able to reach out to it, never be able to touch it.”

            “Who were they?” Ianto asked. “What were they doing here?”  
            “Fire Furies are despicable creatures,” the Doctor commented. “They devour, destroy, and burn everything they touch.”

            Ianto nodded. No more would have to be said tonight.

            Sighing, he looked over his shoulder at Eleanor. The woman had slumped down onto the ground, clearly shocked at the entire event. He sighed. This was a mess and it would take a lot to clean up.

            This was not how he wanted Annabelle’s birthday to go.

            Speaking of which . . .

            “Tad!” The birthday girl streaked across the yard and threw herself at her father. Ianto wrapped his arms around her as she sobbed into his waistcoat. “I thought you were going to die!”

            “Hey, Annabelle,” he whispered, “you know what happens when I get hurt?” She looked up at him with those big blue eyes of hers. “I get back up. Your Daddy and I are special that way.”

            Jack was shaking as well as he tenderly wrapped an arm around Annabelle’s shoulder. Their eyes met and Ianto saw Jack’s old fear, the same fear that was always there whenever Ianto got hurt.

            Ianto leaned over and kissed Jack on the lips gently.

            He so owed Jack a date and a long weekend of really great, mind-blowing, love-affirming sex now.

            “At least it wasn’t your favorite waistcoat this time.” Jack’s comment came out lamely, but Ianto knew that it was to lighten the mood. He smiled his thanks to his husband.

            Still, as the small family looked around, Ianto winced.

            “Tad,” Annabelle said, causing Ianto to look back down at her.

            “Yes, Annabelle?”

            “Can we not invite normal people to anymore birthday parties? Because this is way too much stuff to explain.”   
            Ianto laughed and kissed the top of her head. “Whatever you say, Annabelle.”

            And Annabelle was right.

            It took another three hours to convince most of the guests that the fire creatures were just performers hired for the party, though Ianto was sure that most didn’t believe it. He didn’t know how many of the parents would let their children come to another Harkness-Jones party again, but the kids seemed to like it.

            Eleanor recovered enough, though she seemed oddly quiet around Ianto.

            And Inato felt really bad, which is why he cornered Rhys after the rest of the guests had left.

            “Look, I really sorry about this,” he said. “I didn’t know that aliens would party-crash.”

            Rhys shook his head, silencing Ianto. “It’s not your fault, Ianto. Aliens and weird shit’s a part of yours and Jack’s lives. I didn’t think to warn Eleanor about it before I brought her.”

            The Welsh immortal sighed. “I know you really like her, Rhys.”

            “Ianto Jones, don’t start apologizing for ending a relationship that hasn’t ended yet!” Ianto raised an eyebrow in question and Rhys elaborated, “I talked to Eleanor while you and Jack were trouble-shooting. Told her that you lot come from a background of the weird and that you worked for U.N.I.T. She seemed to understand that you knew what you were doing, if not the why or the how. We’re taking it slow, just like we have been doing for the last few months.”

            “Oh, well . . . right.”

            Rhys clapped Ianto on the back, causing the immortal to wince a bit. His back was still a bit sore.

            “Sorry, forgot about that.”

            “It’s okay.” Ianto looked back into the yard, finding Eleanor sitting at a table, nursing a cup of tea and talking to Donna and Martha. “I should explain to her why I healed and why I don’t need to go to the hospital.”

            “Already took care of that one.” Ianto gaped at Rhys. “She knows that you can’t die. I had to tell her. She is a nurse.”

            With that, Ianto started laughing.

            It was good to be friends with someone like Rhys. He took the odd and the weird and handled it well.

            Regardless, as he sat down next to Jack on the backyard swing, a dozing Annabelle curled up in Jack’s arms, Ianto had a feeling that Eleanor might last. She hadn’t gone running and screaming yet.

            Ianto leaned his head against Jack’s shoulder as Jack wrapped an arm around him.

            “Not our finest moment,” he admitted.

            “No, but it was certainly memorable.”

            As Ianto smoothed Annabelle’s hair, he found that he couldn’t agree more


	31. We’ve Still Got Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One moment that captures the purity and depth of the love of Ianto Jones and Jack Harkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Imagine what could possibly happen if I did own Torchwood? However, we will simply have to settle for the written word and our own lovely imaginations. *sigh*

            A picture is worth a thousand words, the old saying goes, and this particular photograph captures something that transcends a thousand words. It was soul-moving.

            Two men hold each other close as they dance to an unheard song. A ray of the setting sun catches one man’s wedding ring. One has his head on the other’s shoulder. Lips are near an ear, either humming along or whispering words of love.

            Ianto didn’t remember the photo being taken. When he sees it, however, he remembers exactly when and where it was taken. And, as he stares at it, hanging on the wall of a gallery in London, he can’t help but smile.

            To the regular passerby, it’s near impossible to distinguish the distinct facial features of the people in the photo. The sunset in the background casts shadows over their faces in such a way that obscures who they are, but Ianto knows that it is him and Jack. The body language is all there and he (vaguely) remembers a photographer walking around at the street festival that the label says the photograph was taken at, though Ianto had thought that he was just from a newspaper and was covering the festival for a bit in the paper. The time was certainly right, if the date on the label is correct.

            Oh, Ianto does remember the street festival.

            It was almost fourteen years ago, before Annabelle was born. He and Jack had only recently been married and he had yet to die in the reactor. They had stopped at the street festival because Donna wanted the twins to experience it. The Doctor had (initially) been reluctant to go along, but, as with most things that the twins and Donna did, he warmed up quickly and had a great time.

            As the day wore on, there were a few local bands playing. Jack had been keen on dancing with Ianto and Ianto was never one to turn down an offer to dance from Jack. He remembered Jack pulling him into the street and wrapping his arm around Ianto’s waist.

            It had been a quiet moment, one that made Ianto remember why he loved Jack so much.

            Jack didn’t make any grand gesture or put on an act for the crowd. No, it was just a simple slow dance for the two of them.

            Ianto remembered leaning his head against Jack’s neck as Jack quietly sung the lyrics of the song into his ear. He remembered how nice it felt to be close to Jack. He remembered how Jack had woven their fingers together and that he was possessively glad to see Jack’s rings flashing in the evening sun.

            And, as Ianto studying the image, he knew that, though their faces were shadowed, he was grateful to the photographer for capturing that moment. True, it was a number of years prior (by Earth standards), but there was a beauty to the photograph.

            He heard the quiet comments of the other patrons of the gallery as they too studied the photograph and, for the most part, they made him smile. Others saw the quiet beauty of the moment and commented on it. A few mentioned how they wished they had that kind of obvious closeness in their lives.

            A hand slipped around his waist.

            Ianto turned his head a bit and smiled at Jack. He put his hand on Jack’s hand.

            “How’s Annabelle?” he asked.

            “She’s good. She has her homework finished for the weekend,” Jack supplied. “Tomorrow, Donna is going to take her shopping for summer clothes.”

            “Shot up like a weed this year, didn’t she?”

            Jack chuckled and kissed the side of Ianto’s head. “Well, she is almost a teenager now. That’s what they do.”

            Ianto couldn’t agree more, though he had to add, “Yeah, and she’ll have a boyfriend before we know it.”

            The offended gasp from Jack was well-earned. “Bite your tongue.”

            “And nothing else?”

            Jack kissed his ear. “Martha’s right. You have been spending too much time with me.” Ianto merely smiled at his husband. For a moment, they were quiet, looking at the photograph in front of them. Then, Jack commented, “You know, that was a good day.”

            “I was just thinking about that. We should see if we can get a copy of that photo.”

            “Agreed.”

            That was settled, Ianto knew.

            Jack’s fingers moved along his side. He raised an eyebrow a fraction of an inch as Jack began humming a tune into his ear. A moment later, as Jack began whispering the lyrics of the song to him, Ianto smiled. That song was near and dear to the both of them. 

            They stood there for a few minutes longer before they left the gallery, heading to the romantic evening that Ianto had planned for them.

            As they left, a few patrons watched them go.

            It would be said, in passing conversations, that the two men in the photograph were still going strong and the people who said that would be right. Many years later, when the photograph became internationally recognized and well-known throughout the galaxy, Ianto and Jack would share a smile.

            Sometimes, when Ianto was feeling blue, Jack would take his hand and pull him close, humming the tune in his ear as they slowly danced together, even if there was no other music. They had danced their first married dance to it and it defined their relationship.

            It was their song.


	32. Father's Prerogative

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabelle brings home her first boyfriend. Turns out, two immortals are scary when they want to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m only playing in this sandbox. I’ll (reluctantly) return the toys after I finish

            Thetis rubbed against his leg, purring quietly, as he stood at the window, watching and waiting. Jack had laughed when he had taken up his sentry post, but Ianto knew that, if he wasn’t there, Jack would be.

            Ianto didn’t remember his parents being as nerve-wracked as he and Jack currently are when Rebecca and Rhiannon brought home their first boyfriends. When Rhiannon got pregnant and married as young as she did, yes, but not over the first boyfriends. His father had been over-protective and his mother had been cautious.

            It hadn’t been the same whenever he and Gaven had brought home girls, Gaven more so than him. Ianto had been reluctant to bring Lisa even, back when they were together.

            Still, Annabelle bringing home a boyfriend was not something that either one of them were looking forward to occurring. He and Jack had talked about it in the days leading up to the day of and they agreed that they wouldn’t issue and death-threats (yet).

            Annabelle had pleaded with them to let her bring the boy she was interested in out with them to dinner. It was their end-of-summer ritual to go out to dinner before Annabelle started back to school. Ianto and Jack, being the fathers that they were, had given in – eventually. It had taken a few long dosages of pleading puppy-dog pouts from their daughter to let that happen. Ianto should have known that they would have caved. Annabelle came by her puppy-dog pouts honestly.

            Reservations had been made and Annabelle’s boyfriend was en route, being accompanied by Annabelle herself.

            Nick Jenson was fifteen and a year ahead of Annabelle in school. From what Annabelle had told them, he was a football player, as well as a bit of a musician. Apparently, he had a tendency to play with a few friends after school in the band room on free afternoons, which is how Annabelle met him in the first place.

            She had been after school with friends, working on the school newspaper. When they had grilled her on Nick, Annabelle admitted that they had been friendly for a few months, getting to know each other well into the summer, before he had asked her out. He had been nervous about asking her out – apparently, he was scared of her two fathers. Their reputation preceded them clearly.

            Vaguely, Ianto was glad that their reputations were intimidating. If they could scare off boys who weren’t good for Annabelle, that was a good thing.

            Ianto was pulled out his thoughts as he saw Annabelle and Nick, her . . . boyfriend.

            “They’re here,” he called out, moving from his position in the living room window. He knew that Annabelle had seen him, but Ianto wasn’t going to hide that he was being an over-protective father.

            Jack emerged from the office. He was fidgeting with the cuffs of his shirt and his braces. Ianto raised an eyebrow. It was so unlike Jack to get nervous.

            “Like you’re any better?” Jack asked dryly.

            The front door opened, cutting off any further conversations. The two men looked over as Annabelle came walking into the house, her boyfriend following her.

            “Tad, Dad!” she said, brightly. Her eyes flicked over to Ianto. “Did you have to be on the look-out Tad?”

            Ianto chuckled. “Would you expect anything less from me?”

            With all the sass of a teenaged girl, she huffed. “From Dad, not from you.”

            He looked at Jack and shrugged.

            “So, are you going to introduce us?” Jack asked, stepping next to Ianto. Ianto casually slipped his arm around Jack’s waist.

            For a moment, he saw Nick shift, clearly a little uncomfortable, but Ianto didn’t know the cause of said feeling – it could be several things, actually. Still, Ianto knew that any boy would be nervous about meeting the parents of a girl he fancied.

            “Of course, Dad!” Annabelle exclaimed. “This is Nick Jenson, my boyfriend.” She looked up at the tall boy at her side. “Nick, these are my fathers, Jack Harkness and Ianto Jones.”

            “Hello, sirs,” the boy said, his voice shaking a bit as he stepped forward to shake their hands. “It’s an honor to meet you both.” Briefly, he looked back at Annabelle. “Your daughter has said told me a lot about you.

            “Not too much, I hope,” Jack replied, with an easy smile.

            Nick weakly laughed. Ianto suppressed a smile. The boy was trying, he could tell, which was a good sign.

            It mean that he cared enough about Annabelle to face the scrutiny of her parents. Annabelle was very important to both Jack and Ianto and they were important to her, which was why it was a long standing agreement between the three of them that she bring home any boy who she was interested in. Annabelle was still clearly nervous though. Nick _was_ her first boyfriend.

            “So, reservation’s in a half hour. Why don’t we get this show on the road?” Ianto asked, knowing that both Annabelle and Nick would be grateful for the diversion.

            The car ride was relatively reasonable, broken up with idle conversation, covering the most basic topics – school, favorite activities, Nick’s family. Ianto could tell, from his vantage point in the front seat, that Annabelle was worried for her boyfriend. They all knew that the relationship between the father and the boyfriend could be very interesting and Annabelle had two fathers to worry about.

            At the restaurant, a nice Indian place that Jack had stumbled upon a few years prior that had quickly become a favorite of the three of them, Ianto noted how Nick had been quick out of the car, hurrying around to the other side to hold the door for Annabelle as she climbed out. The girl smiled brightly at him as he took her hand and closed the door behind her. Jack saw it too, because he squeezed Ianto’s hand. They shared a look. A point in Nick’s favor then. Common courtesy was always nice to see.

            Both Ianto and Jack had forgone their usual coats for the sake of seeming more approachable, which expedited the process of getting to their table. It had been hard to convince Jack to go along with it, but Ianto had reasoned that Nick would be scared enough as it were, so he didn’t need the extra fright of seeing the two men in full-blown imposing mode.

            It turned out that dinner was a very pleasant affair, especially after their food arrived.

            Apparently, Nick had never tried Indian before, so it was a new experience for him. It was humorous to see his reactions to the spice in the food that Ianto, Jack, and Annabelle were all accustomed to tasting. Still, the boy handled it well, which was another good sign.

            Their conversation never really strayed into the strange or the uncomfortable. Nick even asked after their work with U.N.I.T. It was common knowledge around the neighborhood that Ianto Jones and Jack Harkness worked for a government organization contractually, though the specifics of their works were never discussed, mainly because the two kept a lot of that quiet. They didn’t go into too much detail, answering Nick’s questions, mainly because, if they did, it would probably scare him off for good. Regardless, Nick did seem interested in some of the more technological things that they brought up.

            Ianto had to raise an eyebrow in surprise. Played guitar in a band? Was on the football team in school? Liked technology and science? This boy was almost too good to be true!

            He wasn’t going to say anything at the moment, but Nick did seem like a good enough boy to be Annabelle’s first boyfriend.

            The rest of the evening progressed well enough and, as they were leaving the restaurant, Jack’s mobile went off, playing the customized ring tone for Donna. The two men looked at their daughter.

            Annabelle seemed to understand because she managed to pull Nick out of hearing range.

            “Yes, Donna?” Jack said, as he answered the mobile. Ianto stepped close to him, close enough to pick up what Donna was saying.

            “I’m really sorry to have to drop this on you. I know you are out to dinner with Annabelle’s boyfriend,” Donna replied, through the mobile, “but the Doctor needs you and Ianto to help him with a TARDIS problem.”

            Jack looked at Ianto. Ianto nodded.

            “It’s alright. We’ve finished up with dinner anyway. We’ll drop the kids off and be over as soon as we can.”

            “Alright.” There was a brief pause, before Donna asked, “So, what do you think of Annabelle’s boyfriend?”

            Ianto chuckled and took the phone from Jack. “He’s nice enough. I think we’ll keep him around a little longer.”

            He could almost hear Donna shaking her head.

            “I won’t keep you,” she said. “I’ll tell the Doctor to expect you.”

            As they hung up, the two men looked at each other. “There goes a quiet evening then.”

            “Hey, a little fun with the Doctor never hurt,” Jack answered. They looked over at Annabelle. “I guess we need to go play the harbringers of bad news.”

            “We have to go home anyway,” Ianto reminded Jack.

            “Why’s that?”

            Ianto laughed. “We need our coats, of course!”

            “Good point.”

            The two men shared a laugh as they went off to collect the two teenagers. Jack was right, Ianto mused, as they drove to the house. The Doctor did have a knack for providing adventure, even if it meant that they had to cut their evening off early.

            Nick had taken the news graciously. Annabelle, knowing that, when the Doctor and Donna called, they were needed, had offered to walk Nick home, promising that nothing would happen and Ianto knew nothing would. She was well-trained by her fathers, her uncles, and her aunts to handle herself in a fight.

            Besides, as Ianto and Jack pulled on their coats back at the house, Ianto saw the flash of fear rise in Nick’s eyes. They had their game faces on. That, accompanied by the coats, gave an imposing image.

            It was always good to strike fear where fear was appropriate. That, after all, _was_ a father’s prerogative.


	33. Quizzical Meetings - Ianto's Perspective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ianto, Jack, and the Doctor run across the Ninth Doctor, the mortal Jack, and Rose while on a retrieval.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really guys, I don’t own anything. I survived an earthquake and a hurricane, but that doesn’t bring me any closer to owning Torchwood.

            The Doctor’s problem ended up being relatively easy to solve. It involved them going to another planet to find the source of a strange radio wave. Jack had volunteered to be the one to actually retrieve the item, while Ianto and the Doctor manned the TARDIS. Ianto didn’t suppress his smile at the ease of the problem. They had solved worse, by far.

            He ran his hands over the TARDIS’s console affectionately. The old girl hummed at him. He felt safe and warm.

            But, apparently, the universe had different plans for them today.

            Just after Jack had called in to let them know that he was on his way back to the TARDIS, with the offending object, something completely unexpected occurred. The front door of the TARDIS was pushed open and three people casually walked in like they owned the place, their voices echoing up to the console.

            Both Ianto and the Doctor looked around the console at them. Ianto felt his jaw drop in surprise. Beside him, the Doctor gasped and Ianto heard him suppress a little laugh.

            The three stopped when they caught sight of them.

            “What?”

            Ianto looked down at his feet in an attempt to school his face into something related to cool composure as the Ninth Doctor, a very mortal Jack, and a much younger Rose Tyler stared up at them. He didn’t know what was going on, but it was safe to say, from the Doctor’s reaction, that what was going on was supposed to be happening. And, briefly, Ianto was glad that he had been brought up to speed on all of the Doctor’s past faces because he would have been too surprised to function otherwise.

            “Oh hello,” his Doctor said, stepping around the console to grin, as madly as ever, at the three. “Sorry about that, the old girl was pulling tricks on us, though this was supposed to happen. Don’t worry, just a small glitch that’ll soon work itself out.”

            The Ninth Doctor stomped (yes, stomped!) up his future self until they were nose to nose. “Who’re you and why are you on my TARDIS?”

            Ianto watched his Doctor struggle with a smile. “We-ell, it’s my TARDIS too and the girl decided to act on something she remembered from a while back.” The two Doctors stared at each other. “This has happened to you before, _Doctor_ , and it will happen again. You remember my face.”

            The Ninth Doctor was silent for a moment before he huffed. “I remember a lot of faces, but I know yours, since I know I haven’t worn it yet.”

            “But you will, soon enough.”

            There was ice and sorrow in his Doctor’s voice and Ianto knew why. He glanced over at the shell-shocked young Rose and mortal Jack. If Jack was traveling with this Doctor, then that meant that the Ninth Doctor didn’t have much time before he regenerated.

            He felt the stare of two Doctors on him and Ianto looked over at them.

            “So, who’s he?” the Ninth Doctor asked, stepping away from the Tenth Doctor. “Not another stray.”

            “No, _no_ ,” the Tenth Doctor said, reassuring his past self. “He’s – well, he’s Ianto and he’s been around for a few years now. Met him, mmm, how long ago was it, Ianto?”

            Ianto paused for a moment, thinking, doing the math in his head. “First time was back in 2008, so twenty-two Earth years, but it’s been longer if you take in account the time that I’ve spent on the TARDIS.”

            “Right, you’ve stuck around for a while then?”

            The Ninth Doctor certainly was gruff, but there was a tone in his voice that indicated that the Time Lord had a softer, nicer side. Jack had said that the Ninth Doctor was so much fun to banter and flirt with.

            “Yep.” Ianto looked at Rose and Jack and then back to his Doctor. “Doctor – er, _my_ Doctor – what’re we going to do about them? Timelines, memories, and all?”

            His Doctor knew what he meant by what he said because the suit-clad Doctor grinned, not quite as mad as before, but there was a certain humorous quality about his look right now.

            “Don’t worry, the TARDIS – bless her – is taking care of that.”

            “What do you mean?” Rose finally asked, recovering her sense enough to walk forward, clearly eyeing up Ianto’s version of the Doctor – the Doctor she would be traveling with soon enough.

            Ianto knew she flicked more than one look over to him, but he was content to watch her, a knowing look on his face, remember the first time he met Rose. The judging look on this Rose’s face was the same as it had been when she had stumbled into the TARDIS, looking for the Doctor. He looked past Rose to Jack and saw Jack staring at him. Ianto gave the mortal Jack a brief smile.

            Ianto watched as his Doctor walked forward a bit and leaned on the railing. The Time Lord’s wedding ring flashed in the light and Ianto knew that the three from the past saw it. The Ninth Doctor opened his mouth to say something but Ianto met his eyes and shook his head. This was not the time and the place for _that_ conversation.

            “You two play a role in the future of Earth and the things you’re seeing in this version of the TARDIS don’t technically exist yet in your personal timelines, so the TARDIS is going to have to put a memory block on you that will only come down when she wills it to happen.”

            “How is that fair?” the mortal Jack said, stepping towards him.

            Ianto knows that memory blocks and memory wipes are a sore subject with Jack. It had taken Jack a year and a half of marriage to admit that the Time Agency had wiped out years of his memory. On top of that, he knew that Jack wasn’t a fan of Retcon, whenever they had to use it at Torchwood, though Jack had to do what was necessary to maintain the secrecy of their organization.

            “You’ll remember in time, Jack,” the Tenth Doctor promised. Ianto blushed a bit as his Doctor turned his eyes to him for a moment. “But you can’t remember everything until a later point.”

            “And why’s that?” the mortal Jack asked, his hands on his hips in a very defiant (and very Jack) way, as he walked towards the Time Lord.

            The Tenth Doctor merely smiled and Ianto knew that the Time Lord knew something. The mortal Jack looked back to Ianto. Trusting what the Doctor said, he fidgeted a bit, straightening his tie in the way that he knew Jack liked, knowing that the past version of his husband saw the rings on his finger. Ianto smoothed down his pristine trench coat. So what if he was baiting the mortal Jack? It was fun!

            Ianto smiled brightly at the mortal Jack, giving him a slow and obvious once-over. Boldly, knowing that his husband would have something to say about this later, he walked up to the mortal version of his husband and kissed him. It took Jack a second to process before he responded.

            The kiss was wonderful, as always. Never one to be shown up, Jack dipped Ianto, causing Ianto to wrap a hand around Jack’s neck. He could feel Jack’s arousal against his leg and Ianto felt very sympathetic for this version of Jack.

            When Ianto stepped back, grinning, he heard his Doctor laughing and the young Rose gasp. He looked at Rose. The blonde had a hand in front of her mouth, her eyes wide. Behind her, he saw the past Doctor shake his head, suppressing an almost expectant smile, as if he knew that Ianto was going to pull something. In that moment, Ianto remembered a gala event, many years before, where Ianto got to be possessive of Jack. He really did like being possessive of his husband.

            It took everything in him to keep from saying, “Mine” to Rose.

            The door of the TARDIS banged open and the present, immortal version of Jack came bounding in, object in hand.

            “Doctor, I have the transmitter and – oh my God!” Jack stopped, his World War II greatcoat fluttering around him and looked at the three newest guests of the TARDIS. His eyes flashed to the Tenth Doctor, who only smiled, and Ianto knew that Jack’s memories of the day were returning. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

            “And spoil the fun?”

            Jack looked at Ianto. “Did you know about this, Ianto?”

            Ianto walked to him as Jack set the alien radio transmitter onto the ground, out of the way. “Not until they walked in, Jack.”

            “Fine.” Jack looked from Ianto to his past self (who had just recovered from the kiss) and then back to Ianto. “Did I miss the kiss?”

            “Yep.” Their Doctor was having a ball with this.

            Jack slipped an arm around Ianto’s waist, pulling him close. “Damn it, Yan, you couldn’t have waited! That was a fantastic kiss.”  
            He chuckled and briefly kissed Jack. “I’ll make it up to you later, cariad.”

            “You better, love.” Jack played started playing with Ianto’s tie, running it through his fingers. Ianto was quietly glad that he wore a red tie, because those were usually Jack’s favorite on him.

            More than one cough drew their attention. The two men looked at the four spectators. Their Doctor, while amused, had that look on his face that said that they could continue their flirting game later – when he wasn’t around. Jack laughed and kissed Ianto on the cheek at the very flustered, flabbergasted faces of the three people from the past timeline.

            Okay, only Rose looked completely flustered and flabbergasted. The Ninth Doctor didn’t seem to be too fazed by the clearly romantic and close relationship between the two men. And the past Jack? Well, he looked almost jealous of the two of them.

            “Don’t worry, Jack,” Ianto’s Jack said, meeting the eyes of his past self, squeezing Ianto’s waist. “You’ll get here eventually. The road will be tough. You’ll have your ups and your downs, but, I can honestly promise, once you’ve survived it, this is the best life ever! You’ll know, once you’ve fallen in love with Ianto.” Jack kissed Ianto on the cheek, as if emphasizing his point. Ianto smiled. “He’s smart, a brilliant archivist, and very, very capable. He’s extremely handy with a coffee maker and he looks great in red. Plus, waistcoats look good on him. And, if that’s not enough of a job recommendation, then I don’t know what is. He’s the best thing in our lives.” Jack laughed, his eyes sparkling. “Well, him and Annabelle.”

            “Annabelle?” The past Jack’s voice was cautious, but hopeful.

            “Our daughter,” Ianto explained, smiling. “She’s fourteen now.”

            He saw the past Jack smile broadly at that.

            And then . . . Rose had to open her mouth and say something.

            “If you’ve got a daughter, then how does Jack look like he hasn’t aged a day. No offense.” She looked between the two Jacks.

            Ianto, Jack, and their Doctor all sighed. There was only so much that they could say because it was clear that the Doctor would remember this encounter, despite the memory blocks that he promised that the TARDIS was putting on the past Rose and the past Jack as they spoke.

            “Let’s just say, for a while, Jack wasn’t a big fan of immortality,” the Doctor cautiously explained. “Don’t ask how it happened or why. You’ll figure it out along the way.” He looked at Ianto and Jack and smiled. “Though Ianto did change that eventually.”

            “That’s enough of that,” the Ninth Doctor said, cutting in. “No more talk of the future.”

            “Oh, I agree,” the Tenth Doctor echoed. “Donna would have a word with me if she thought I was saying too much.”

            “Donna?”

            The simultaneous question from Rose and the Ninth Doctor had the Tenth Doctor nervously chuckling.

            “Not gonna say, _Doctor_. You’ll find out about that on your own.”

            The Ninth Doctor raised an eyebrow, as if knowing that his future self was keeping something from him. The Tenth Doctor only smiled that cryptic smile of his.

            So, twenty minutes later, the TARDIS’s memory block in place on both Rose and the mortal Jack, the Doctor cheerfully ushered the three out of _his_ TARDIS, in the direction of _their_ TARDIS. Ianto hugged Jack tightly.

            Jack sighed heavily.

            “The things I wish I could have told myself,” he admitted. “I could have changed a few things and stopped myself from doing things that I still regret.” Their eyes met and Ianto knew the memories that were playing across Jack’s mind.

            “Everything happens for a reason and if you had stopped me from going into the Thames House with you, I wouldn’t have known that I was immortal until much later. We wouldn’t be where we are now.”

            “I know. I just wish that I didn’t have to live those years with the pain and sorrow of holding you while you died, Yan.”

            Ianto cupped Jack’s face with a hand. “Everything is where it belongs, Jack. Believe me.”

            Jack smiled at him and it was the smile that Ianto loved so dearly.

            “I do, Ianto. I do.” He pressed his forehead against Ianto’s. “I love you, Ianto Jones.”  
            “I love you too, Jack Harkness.”

            For a moment, they were quiet and all was good with them.

            “So, about making up that kiss to me?” Jack asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Ianto began laughing.

            He looked over at the Doctor, who shifted from foot to foot, doing a particularly bad job at hiding his smile. Ianto raised an eyebrow in silent question.

            “Oh go on. It’ll be a little while before we’re back on Earth anyway.” The Doctor shook his head. “Your room hasn’t really changed much.”

            He didn’t hide his laughter as Jack pulled him towards the hallway and to their room.

            Yep, he certainly loved his husband and his life.


	34. Quizzical Meetings - Jack's Perspective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack’s perspective on the meeting!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I do not own anything, merely the ideas that randomly pop into my head that seem entertaining.

            Rose had insisted that they go to this open-air market on the planet that they were currently visiting. The Doctor had grudgingly said ‘yes,’ mainly because, Jack figured, the Time Lord was very affectionate towards the human girl and wanted to please her. Jack, being Jack, went along because it was either go along or hang out with the TARDIS. Not that he didn’t like the TARDIS or anything.

            No, Jack loved the TARDIS. The old girl was positively open with him and always made him feel better. But said old girl had pretty much kicked him out today, for whatever reason.

            Still, as they wandered back to the TARDIS, Jack was glad that Rose hadn’t bought anything today. Even in his limited time traveling with Rose and the Doctor, Jack guessed that Rose was all for a shopping spree at a moment’s notice.

            Rose laughed at something the Doctor said as they pushed open the door to the TARDIS and walked inside, the two men following her closely. Once inside, all three froze.

            Something was off, Jack sensed, with the TARDIS. The two unfamiliar men standing at the control console only affirmed that assumption. Jack gaped, briefly, at the tall, thin man with crazy brown hair, who was wearing a suit and . . . Converses? On the other side of the console, the second man, not quite as tall as the first man, looked down, giving Jack a good shot of his gray-streaked dark brown hair.

            “What?” Jack heard the Doctor say, clearly recovering his voice, and he pulled his attention away from studying the man, who was dressed in such a way that was really attractive on him. Whoever he was, this man could pull off the dark pants, white button-down, red tie , and a waistcoat.

            Ooooh . . . a waistcoat. Jack liked those.

            Jack smiled a bit, deciding that the trench coat that the man had on gave him a very distinguished and, dare he use the word, imposing. The coat definitely suited the man.

            “Oh hello,” the thin man in the suit said, giving the Doctor a very mad grin. “Sorry about that, the old girl was pulling tricks on us, though this was supposed to happen. Don’t worry, just a small glitch that’ll soon work itself out.”

            The Doctor stomped up to the man. “Who are you and why are you on my TARDIS?”

            “We-ell,” the thin man said, bouncing on the balls of his feet like a small child, “it’s my TARDIS too and the girl decided to act on something she remembered from a while back. This has happened to you before, _Doctor_ , and it will happen again. You remember my face.”

            The Doctor was quiet as he studied the man in front of him. “I remember a lot of faces, but I know yours, since I know I haven’t worn it yet.”

            “But you will, soon enough.”

            Jack caught the sadness in this man’s voice. For a moment, he took in the man in front of the Doctor. Realization hit him. Their words suddenly made sense. This man was a . . . _future_ version of the Doctor.

            A thought crossed Jack’s mind, one that he didn’t quite want to share with the rest of the group, but, damn, it was a good thought.

            The _two_ Doctors looked over at the man in the waistcoat, who had been silent thus far. He looked back, meeting their intense gaze evenly. Jack’s estimation of him soared even higher. Even Jack had troubles with meeting the look of just one Doctor when said Doctor had that ancient look in his eyes.

            “So, who’s he?” Jacks Doctor asked, as he stepped away from the future Doctor. “Not another stray.”

            “No, _no_ ,” the future Doctor said. This Doctor looked over at the man, who had to be a companion of sorts. “He’s – well, he’s Ianto and he’s been around for a few years now. Met him, mmm, how long ago was it, Ianto?”

            The man – _Ianto_ – seemed to think for a moment before speaking, for the first time since the Doctor, Rose, and Jack’s arrival, “First time was back in 2008, so twenty-two Earth years, but it’s been longer if you take in account the time that I’ve spent on the TARDIS.”

            Ianto was _Welsh_! There was something about the way he formed his vowels that had Jack completely entranced.

            “Right, you’ve stuck around for a while then?”

            Jack heard a faint softness in his Doctor’s voice. Was that affection that was already forming?

            “Yep.” Ianto looked at Rose and Jack. As he did, Jack really got a good look at him. This Ianto was very attractive and there was something about him that drew Jack to him, even though he didn’t know the man. “Doctor – er, _my_ Doctor – what’re we going to do about them? Timelines, memories, and all?”

            Ianto’s Doctor seemed to know what he was saying. That mad grin got only madder. Jack had to stifle a chuckle. This Doctor seemed to be a lot of fun.

            “Don’t worry, the TARDIS – bless her – is taking care of that.”

            “What do you mean?” Rose asked, seemingly innocent, though Jack heard something pointed in there, walking forward, clearly eyeing up Ianto’s version of the Doctor.

            Jack saw her assess the future Doctor in front of her and he tried not to comment. He also saw her give the future companion of the Doctor a quick once-over. She didn’t seem to like his waistcoat or the gray streaks in his hair. Pity, Jack realized, because the gray seemed to suit him and the red looked good on him. Ianto met his eyes and smiled a bit at him.

            This future Doctor leaned against a railing. A flash of light against a gold band caught Jack’s attention – and his Doctor’s attention as well. Was that a wedding ring on the future Doctor’s hand? If it was, then Jack really wanted to know who the Time Lord was going to be married to. The present Doctor opened his mouth to say something, but stopped at a look from Ianto.

            “You two play a role in the future of Earth and the things you’re seeing in this version of the TARDIS don’t technically exist yet in your personal timelines, so the TARDIS is going to have to put a memory block on you that will only come down when she wills it to happen.”

            “How is that fair?” Jack asked, riled. He didn’t like memory wipes and memory blocks, not that he ever told anyone the extent of his hatred of it. His experiences with the Time Agency had pretty much beaten that opinion into him.

            “You’ll remember in time, Jack,” the Doctor promised. “But you can’t remember everything until a later point.”

            “And why’s that?” he asked, putting his hands on his hips as he walked to the future Doctor.

            The Doctor didn’t say anything. He merely kept that knowing and cheeky look on his face. For a moment, Jack was very envious of this future Time Lord for having knowledge of his future personal time line.

            But Jack’s attention was diverted.

            Ianto was smiling a bit as he adjusted his tie in such a way that was positively adorable. Jack saw light reflect across two rings on a very important finger on his left hand – a wedding ring and a ring that had diamonds around the band. The Welshman smoothed his trench coat – it already looked perfectly pressed and didn’t have any wrinkles in it, at least none that Jack saw. He gave Jack a slow and intense look-over that positively _smoldered_. Oh, Jack was definitely attracted now.

            Was he being flirted with?

            All thoughts of that matter, however, went merrily skipping out of his brain when Ianto crossed to him and pulled him for the best kiss that Jack had ever had. Seconds later, when his brain finally caught up with the rest of him, Jack responded. He returned the kiss with all the energy that he could muster. He didn’t know how Ianto knew him, but, if was the kind of kiss that Ianto could give, Jack wanted to find him and keep him, whoever Ianto was married to, be damned.

            However, given that Ianto had started the kiss, Jack wanted to end it with a bang.

            With a flourish, he dipped Ianto, earning a quiet gasp from the man in his arms, making him wrap a hand around his neck. Jack liked having him close to him and he was not at all embarrassed about his erection pressing against Ianto’s leg.

            As they parted and Ianto stepped back, Jack was sure that there was a possessive smile on his face. Possessive was sexy on Ianto.

            Ianto’s Doctor looked as giddy as a schoolboy. Rose? Well, Rose looked damn jealous right now, with her hand over her mouth. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ianto smirk, looking as if he had just staked his claim on Jack.

            The door of the TARDIS banged open, causing Jack to look back at it. His jaw dropped. He saw – himself! This new Jack had an alien object in his hand and a very familiar World War II greatcoat (that Jack still in his closet) on, flapping around him in quite an imposing manner.

            “Doctor, I have the transmitter and – oh my God!” This Jack stopped and looked at Jack, Rose, and the Doctor. After a moment, he looked to the future Doctor. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

            “And spoil the fun?”

            This future Jack looked at Ianto, still a few feet away from Jack. “Did you know about this, Ianto?”

            Ianto walked to him as he set the alien radio transmitter onto the ground, out of the way. “Not until they walked in, Jack.”

            “Fine.” The future Jack looked from Ianto to Jack and then back to Ianto. Jack caught his breath. This was a future version of himself! “Did I miss the kiss?”

            “Yep.” Their Doctor seemed as giddy as a school boy.

            Jack watched as the future him wrapped an arm around Ianto’s waist, pulling him close to his chest. He saw a matching wedding ring on that Jack’s hand, accompanied by a ring that had emerald and sapphires on the band. “Damn it, Yan, you couldn’t have waited! That was a fantastic kiss.”

            Ianto chuckled and leaned in to kiss Jack. “I’ll make it up to you later, cariad.”

            That’s when it really hit Jack. His future self was married to Ianto! Ianto was going to be a part of his life!

            “You better, love.” The future Jack had Ianto’s tie in his hand, running it through his fingers.

            The future Doctor coughed and the two men looked back at them. Jack saw that Rose was very flabbergasted. The two Doctors didn’t seem as fazed by the antics of the men. Jack felt a pang of jealous at them.

            They were clearly happy and at ease with one another, if the way that they fit together so nicely and comfortably was any indication of that. Jack remembered the memory block the TARDIS was putting on him and he silently cursed. He wanted to find Ianto now!

“            Don’t worry, Jack,” the future Jack – the Jack who had Ianto – said, meeting his eyes. Jack saw the way that he squeezed Ianto’s waist. Ianto was his – their – husband. “You’ll get here eventually. The road will be tough. You’ll have your ups and your downs, but, I can honestly promise, once you’ve survived it, this is the best life ever! You’ll know, once you’ve fallen in love with Ianto.” Jack kissed Ianto on the cheek, causing Ianto to smile. “He’s smart, a brilliant archivist, and very, very capable. He’s extremely handy with a coffee maker and he looks great in red. Plus, waistcoats look good on him. And, if that’s not enough of a job recommendation, then I don’t know what is. He’s the best thing in our lives.” Jack paused briefly, laughing. “Well, him and Annabelle.”

            “Annabelle?” Jack cautiously asked. He felt hope rise in his chest, for some reason.

            “Our daughter,” Ianto told him. “She’s fourteen now.”

            Jack really smiled. They had a daughter. They had a family!

            And then . . . Rose had to ruin the moment by opening her mouth.

            “If you’ve got a daughter, then how does Jack look like he hasn’t aged a day. No offense.” The blonde looked between her Jack and the Jack who was holding Ianto. For a moment, Jack saw a flash of pure jealous in her eyes and that didn’t sit too well with him.

            “Let’s just say, for a while, Jack wasn’t a big fan of immortality,” the future Doctor told Rose. His tone was cautious and cryptic. Why would Jack not like immortality? “Don’t ask how it happened or why. You’ll figure it out along the way.” For a moment, this Doctor seemed to consider something for a moment “Though Ianto did change that eventually.”

            “That’s enough of that,” Jack’s current Doctor cut in with. “No more talk of the future.”

            “Oh, I agree,” the future Doctor agreed. “Donna would have a word with me if she thought I was saying too much.”

            “Donna?”

            Rose and their current Doctor asked that one in unison. Jack looked back at the wedding ring on the future Doctor’s hand and saw the way that the future Doctor played with it. This Donna had to be important.

            “Not gonna say, _Doctor_. You’ll find out about that on your own.”

            The Doctor raised an eyebrow.  The future Doctor only smiled cryptically and then everything got weird for Jack.

            Jack was sitting in the TARDIS, his brain particularly fuzzy. Why didn’t he remember walking back from the market with the Doctor and Rose? Why did he have an erection with no apparent reason? Who had turned him on?

            And why did he have the oddest desire to pull his greatcoat out of his closet, stock-pile red clothing, and go to Wales?

            After a moment, it hit him.

            “It must be the vowels,” he said, to no one in particular.

            “Huh?” Rose asked, her face as equally confused as his. “What did you say?”

            He smiled a bit. “I was just thinking about why I like visiting Wales. It’s the vowels.”

            “Weird reason.”

            The Doctor laughed. “Well, we’re heading to Wales anyway, Cardiff to be specific. The TARDIS needs to fuel up.”

            Jack tilted his head to the side. “Fuel up?”

            “Yeah, you think that the TARDIS runs on nothing? There’s a Rift there, left over from an event in 1861,” the Doctor explained. “The energy off that Rift is good for the TARDIS to fuel up on.”

            Rose smiled brightly. “Oh yeah, Charles Dickens, Gwyneth, and the Gelth.”

            After a moment, it made sense to Jack. “Right, I’ve heard about that Rift. If I remember the history books, it went dormant at some point in the twenty-first century.”

            The Doctor paused. “Right, the TARDIS won’t let me go to that time to see that. She says something about maintaining the timelines.” He looked at the control panel briefly. “I’ll never understand her sometimes.”

            Rose only shook her head. “I’ll call Mickey. I need to get my passport anyway. I’ll have him meet us in Cardiff and ask him to bring it along.”

            The Doctor rolled his eyes indignantly at her. Jack laughed. He heard about this Mickey. That should be a fun meeting.

            Jack still didn’t know why he had an erection.

            But years later, when a young Welshman started stalking Jack with amazing coffee, and later caught a pterodactyl with him, Jack was strongly drawn to him. It was vowels, he told himself, and, later, when he saw said Welshman in a waistcoat and a red tie, it was because he looked damn sexy in both.

            And it would be many years after that when Jack remembered why he was drawn to the Welshman.


	35. Joyous Occasions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> second wedding is going to be a heck of a lot less stressful than the first one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nope. I really don’t own. Sorry everyone. Unless the magic wish genie appears . . . *squeezes eyes shut and wishes* . . . nope. I still do not own.

            As far as weddings went, this one went off without the slightest hitch, which, in the grand scheme of things, was a good thing. Everyone who knew anything about the weird and the strange that surrounded the universe was on edge throughout the entire affair, which was a fair number of the wedding guests. Still, it was a happy day for everyone involved.

            Rhys and Eleanor had decided that they wanted a quiet wedding with little to-doing. Given that his first wedding had ended with everyone not affiliated with Torchwood (save Rhys) being Retconned, Rhys had pretty much insisted that Jack and Ianto keep a VERY close eye on things, something that both had promised right off the bat. To ensure that, they had the TARDIS nearby, on standby, just in case.

            It was a good thing, Ianto mused, that Rhys had become such good friends with the extended, adopted family that was the TARDIS crew over the years. In the event of a disaster, they were good people to have around.

            Still, the fact that Rhys was finally getting around to getting married – again – was a good thing.

            Neither Eleanor nor Rhys had been any rush to get married again, which is why it took them over five years to get to this point. Now that they were here, everyone who knew them personally couldn’t be happier for the couple.

            The wedding was a small affair, only their close families, their children, and dearest friends. They didn’t want the same-old, same-old wedding as pretty much everyone had. This was the second wedding for both Rhys and Eleanor.

            Jack and Ianto shared a look as they slid into their seats, Annabelle and Nick beside them. Rhys’s mother had shot Jack a confused (if resentful) look when she had seen them. So far, the Retcon had held on all of Rhys’s family, though, if anyone had the oddest feelings of déjà vu, then that was their problem.

            “So far so good,” Jack said quietly to Ianto.

            “Let’s hope it stays that way,” Ianto replied.

            Even if nothing happened, they were both well-prepared for the day.

            Ianto looked over at Annabelle. Nick shifted a bit in his seat and took her hand. Ianto smiled. They had been together for near a year without Nick being scared off (yet). It had been very gracious for Rhys to extend an invitation to Annabelle’s boyfriend. The fifteen-year-old girl was like an adopted niece to Rhys, just as Anwen was to Ianto and Jack. She had been so excited to be able to bring Nick along with her.

            It had been an interesting trip up to Cardiff. Jack had thought that it would be a wonderful idea if they took the train up and rented a car – the true “vacation” experience, he decided. Even though they could have easily gone the more convenient route and driven themselves, the train was actually more fun. Since Nick was out of the loop on much of the Harkness-Jones extended family, they had had to avoid simply traveling up with the Doctor, Donna, and the twins.

            Music started, indicating the beginning of the wedding. The congregation turned towards the rear of the hall.

            The wedding party consisted of only Anwen as the maid of honor and Zachary as the best man. Anwen, now in university, and Zachary, back in school, studying to be a lawyer, walked in arm-in-arm, both grinning. The two had taken to each other fairly easily as soon to be step-siblings.

            Moments later, Rhys was walking down the aisle. Ianto smiled. Rhys looked very happy, happier than Ianto remembered seeing him in a long time.

            With Rhys at the alter, Eleanor appeared.

            She looked positively beautiful, wearing an ankle-length dress in cream. It had a sweetheart neckline, with beads in the bodice, and it cinched at the waist, before falling down into a simple skirt of silk and a few bead flowers placed decoratively.

            Everyone stood as she walked down the aisle, a true smile on her face.

            Then, the ceremony began.

            All in all, it was lovely. Ianto slipped his hand into Jack’s and kept it there the entire time. They watched as Rhys pledged himself to this woman, who loved him and accepted him for everything that he was. Eleanor knew about his past, even what she knew about the weird that was usually associated with Jack and Ianto (and everyone else in the extended adopted family). She loved his daughter as much as she loved her own son, and Rhys loved Zachary as only a father could.

            He felt so happy for both of them as they were declared husband and wife.

            When they moved to the reception, everyone was so happy. Dinner was a simple affair. Rhys had taken a feather out of Ianto and Jack’s book and gone buffet style. It felt so much more casual and fit their personalities well. Both Anwen and Zachary gave speeches about their parents.

            Music drifted through the air and the dance floor was cleared. Ianto extended his hand to Jack, silently offering a slow dance. Jack took his hand with a smile.

            As they dance, Jack quietly asked, “Do you ever think about doing it again?”

            Ianto raised an eyebrow. “A wedding?”

            “Yeah, us, a wedding, a second time?”

            He laughed. “You really are eager to see how many times we can get married before we run into the Doctor in eighty million years.”

            Jack paused. “Well, no, not really. Weddings are special and important. Just being here and seeing Rhys get married again has gotten me thinking.”

            Ianto squeezed Jack’s hand. “Don’t worry about it. It’s gotten me thinking as well.”  
            “So, what do you think?”

            For a moment, he paused. “Give a few years before we spring a second wedding on everyone.”

            Jack only laughed as they kept dancing.

            Weddings _were_ special and important. They were important too. But, Ianto thought, he was glad that this wedding was very low-key and had gone off without a hitch. He really didn’t feel like problem-solving and chasing off aliens today.


	36. Evolution Is Cruel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The question of Annabelle’s immortality is answered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nope, I really don’t own a thing. I’m merely writing what pops into my minds (as messed up as it is).

            Tears slid down Annabelle’s cheeks as the Doctor grimly looked at her, his ancient eyes sad. It wasn’t an easy moment, for any of them, but it was something that had been on all of their minds since the day that the test confirming Annabelle’s existence was positive. The moment that was haunting them for years was close at hand.

            The question of Annabelle’s immortality would be answered.

            Jack held his daughter in his arms as they sat on the couch in the control room of the TARDIS. Ianto sat on her other side, holding her hands tightly in his. The poor girl was shaking in fear.

            “What’s the verdict, Doctor?” he asked quietly.

            The Doctor sighed. “I’m sorry,” the Time Lord sighed. Jack felt his stomach drop. Either way, this wasn’t good. “She inherited the immortality gene.”

            Jack barely suppressed the urge to cry.

            Annabelle sobbed. Both Ianto and Jack wrapped their arms around their daughter. She buried her head into Jack’s chest. He looked over her shoulder to Ianto. There was anger and pain and sorrow in his eyes and Jack knew exactly what he was feeling.

            “It’s alright, Annabelle,” Ianto whispered, his voice thick with unshed tears. “It’ll be alright.”

            Jack pressed a kiss on the top of her head. “Your Da’s right, baby girl. You have us.”

            She looked up at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. Jack felt his heart clench with so much pain. Her eyes looked so much like Ianto’s right now.

            “But . . . I have to watch everyone – all of my friends – Nick! – grow old and die. It’s not fair, Daddy. It isn’t! I’m not lucky like you and Da. I don’t have someone to love and marry, who will be there every step of the way with me.”

            He didn’t know what to say.

            Vaguely, Jack was aware of the Doctor walking up to them and crouching down. He couldn’t be mad at the Time Lord, not now. The Doctor knew, all too well, what it was like to watch friends and loved ones grow old and die, while still having to soldier on and survive. Jack felt that pain too, just as he knew that Ianto felt it. Now, Annabelle would too.

            The Doctor reached out and took one of Annabelle’s hands, squeezing it, drawing her attention to him.

            “Annabelle, listen to me,” he said. She turned her teary eyes to him. “I said that you inherited the immortal gene, but that’s not all.” His voice was cautious, veiling something. There was something else.

            “What is it, Doctor?”

            He gave her a sad, understanding smile. “You’re something like me, something like a Time Lord. No, you won’t regenerate, but you do have a death clock, one that’s greatly stalled and can be avoided. You’ll going to live and live a very long time, but I promise you that, like me, the day will come when you will have the ability to move on from this universe and plane of existence to the next one.”

            Jack looked at Ianto and saw the confusion there. Annabelle tensed between them.

            “I don’t understand.”

            The Doctor sighed. “You have the tiniest piece of the Time Vortex in you, the very tiniest imaginable, and that won’t sustain you forever. You’ll live, but, millennia down the line, you’ll die.” He reached over to stroke her hair. “I don’t know if it’s possible, but you might be able to force a Vortex effect on the one person you’re destined to be with. The TARDIS knows who that person is. She’s looked into the future of your personal timeline.”

            “I won’t always be alone?” Annabelle sounded hopeful.

            The Doctor nodded. “Not always, I promise.” He gave her the smile of an uncle to a favorite niece. “Besides, you’ve always got your dads, your Aunt Donna, the twins, and me. We’re not going anywhere any time soon.”

            Annabelle sniffled and looked, first to Jack, then to Ianto.

            “Promise?”

            The question was directed at all three of them.

            Ianto leaned over and kissed her forehead. “I promise, baby girl. We’ll always be here for you, no matter what.”

            “We love you, Annabelle. You’re so important to us.” Jack brushed away the last of her tears. “You’re our angel, our daughter.”

            And, as the weak, teary smile crossed Annabelle’s face, Jack knew that, through it all, Annabelle would survive. If the TARDIS was right and there was someone in her future that was her soul-mate, then Annabelle could get through anything.


	37. Secrets Can Be Rewarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabelle and Ianto plan a birthday surprise for Jack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys, I don’t own. Really!

            It had been Annabelle’s idea to begin with.

            She had asked him why they never threw a big birthday party for Jack. Like any teenager, she knew that her dads both had birthdays. But, given that Jack’s date of birth didn’t quite match up with any calendar of the twenty-first century, Annabelle needed to ask Ianto about what would be a good day to throw Jack a little birthday party. She was the one who had suggested a family dinner where the main focus was Jack. Ianto had smiled at that. Knowing Jack, he would absolutely love being the center of attention for the evening.

            Which led to secret planning between the two.

            Jack knew something was going on because he had started asking Ianto incessantly about it after he saw the two plotting together.

            Part of the fun was keeping it a secret from Jack. The American immortal practically hated that. He didn’t like knowing that they were planning something in secret and he didn’t know what about, though he did know it had to do with him.

            Ianto merely kissed Jack whenever Jack brought it up when they were lying in bed at night.

            So, when they did finally spring it on Jack, the look on Jack’s face when he realized that they had planned and executed a family dinner to celebrate his birth was wonderful. Emotions ran rampant on his face, ranging from sheer surprise to delight to love to sadness. Jack hid the temporary sadness well from Annabelle, but Ianto saw it.

            He didn’t address it in front of their daughter, but Ianto knew that Jack was thinking about his family and their lost friends and that he wished that they could be there.

            Still, the quiet little bash with the three of them (and Thetis) was wonderful.

            Annabelle would be sitting her A-Levels soon and, after that, going off to university. Ianto had no doubt that she would be going to university. She was a very smart girl and would get into university very easily. This was a nice chance they got, while they were all still home together. Even though Annabelle would be long-lived, like her father, she was so young and much of her life to live yet.

            But Ianto pushed the remorseful thoughts out his mind as Annabelle mentioned presents at the end of the meal.

            If there was one thing that Jack liked more than cake, it was presents. Well, sex with Ianto, Ianto’s coffee, Ianto in general, Annabelle, and presents. But, it was his “birthday” dinner and presents were required.

            “Oooooh, what have we here?” Jack asked, playfully, as Annabelle handed over her first present.

            She laughed. “You have to open it, Dad. That’s the point!”

            He grinned and did as he was told.

            Jack’s face lit up with a bright smile as he uncovered the painting that Annabelle had just completed for her art class. It was a watercolor of the TARDIS flying in front of a sun. Jack looked at Annabelle and smiled honestly.

            “It’s lovely, Annabelle.” He leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. “I love it.”

            Annabelle gave him a happy smile and Ianto handed over his first present. Jack gave him a sultry smile and unwrapped the item.

            He could tell that Jack liked it because Jack started laughing.

            It had taken Ianto two weeks to track down just the right leather, but he had successfully found all of the required parts and had subsequently crafted a new holster for Jack’s pistol. Jack had complained frequently that his old one was wearing out, one that had lasted him for decades and through all of the events of Torchwood. Despite his sentimental attachment, he had finally had to admit that his old one was going to have be retired.

            “You know me too well, Yan,” Jack commented lightly.

            “That’s my job.”

            They shared a smile as they continued with the rest of the presents, a few other token gifts that was topped by a nice picture that Annabelle and Ianto had picked out together. Jack paused and smiled at the image inside. Ianto had found an old picture of Torchwood Three, back when Tosh and Owen had still been alive. Jack gave both of them an appreciative smile.

            “I know how much you miss your old friends, Dad,” Annabelle quietly said. “I don’t want you to forget them.”

            Jack didn’t have the words to verbalize what he was feeling. Instead, he hugged Annabelle tightly. Ianto smiled. He saw the intense emotion – appreciate, affection, love – in Jack’s face.

            The grief and guilt of their deaths would always hang over Jack, but this was a step towards acceptance.

            And, later, as they were crawling into bed, Ianto pulled Jack close to him.

            “We won’t forget them,” he whispered.

            Jack drew a deep breath and looked at him. “A thousand years’ time, Yan? No, we won’t.”

            Ianto smiled at those words, remembering how they were used in a very different context, once upon a time. He silently agreed with Jack.

            He kissed Jack.

            “I still haven’t given you your last birthday present yet, Jack.”

            The smile that crossed Jack’s lips was slow, sexy, and fully expectant. It was such a good thing that they had gotten their room sound-proofed when Annabelle was eight, because it was going to be a good night.


	38. Just Like A Weed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trouble always has a way of follow Jack and Ianto around . . . just like a weed. Seems like Annabelle inherited that gene as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No owning here. Just playing in the sandbox.

            Jack’s Vortex Manipulator came in handy when alien ships appeared in Earth’s orbit, clearly hell-bent on an attack. The advanced scouts had already arrived on planet and had set up camp. The first thing he had done was call Ianto.

            U.N.I.T. had detected the aliens and had pretty much freaked out. The Doctor and Donna arrived within minutes, the TARDIS whirring happily. The pair had been off on a second honeymoon of sorts, visiting Geoff as he studied at a university a few centuries in the future. They had been Jack’s second call.

            The alien scouts had decided that the high school would be the perfect place to take over. Given that school was in session, both Jack and Ianto near had a heart attack, worrying about Annabelle.

            Once they had arrived at the school, which U.N.I.T. had surrounded, the two immortals immediately fell in with the Doctor and Donna, talking quickly. Ianto looked like he was going to start pacing and swearing in Welsh at any moment. Jack wasn’t any better, his eyes flicking towards the school every ten seconds.

            “What do we know about these aliens?” Jack asked, as a U.N.I.T. officer came bounding over to them.

            The man, a major by the name of Stevenson, looked between the four. “We managed to hack into the school cameras and get a feed on the alien life-forms before they realized that we were there.” He handed over a print-out to the Doctor.

            Jack bent over the Time Lord’s shoulder, looking at the image.

            “That’s a Skeran,” the Doctor said, after a moment. “They’re not supposed to be in this corner of the galaxy. At least, not yet.”

            “Skerans . . . nasty buggers,” Jack added, flicking his eyes over to Ianto and Donna. “Have a habit of mooching off of pretty much every planet that they land on. I wouldn’t be surprised if they ransack the school and demand more supplies in trade for the kids. It’s a good thing that Skerans only send out advance scouts in sets of three.”

            “And they have horrible breath, if I remember correctly.”

            The American looked at Ianto and raised an eyebrow. “You’ve met Skerans, Yan?”

            “Oh yeah, a while ago. Donna and I had the bad luck of running into a pair while we were at the market.” He shuddered at the memory and Donna blanched.

            Major Stevenson clearly wasn’t too pleased with the banter and the supposed calm. “Please, if we could focus, we have a bunch of aliens holding a school full of children and staff hostage.”

            The four traded looks.

            Ianto pulled out his cell phone as it went off. He flipped it open, reading the text message there. After a moment, he handed the phone over to Jack, who read it, with the Doctor and Donna looking over his shoulder. Donna shook her head and, whispering something to the Doctor, walked back into the TARDIS.

            “We should probably move everyone away from the school,” Jack said.

            “Why?” The Major was so confused.

            The Doctor winced and then laughed. “Let’s just say, don’t mess with Donna and her favorite niece.” Ianto and Jack looked at each other. The Major wasn’t really getting it. The Doctor bounced on the balls of his feet, impatient. “Well, what are you waiting for? Get a move on! Or do I have to pull rank?”

            It took only a half a second for that to sink and Major Stevenson turned to his men, calling out commands. As the U.N.I.T. people pulled away from the building, taking the local officers with them, Donna emerged from the TARDIS, a device in her hand. She strode towards the building, Jack, Ianto, and the Doctor flanking her. Jack and Ianto had their guns drawn and the Doctor had his sonic screwdriver in his hand.

            Exactly one minute later, three Skerans emerged from the building, hands raised in the universal sign of surrender. Following them, her head held high, Annabelle had a hot glue gun in her hands, a hot glue gun that was attached, via an extension chord, to a makeshift portable generation that was duct taped to her leg.

            “These who you’re looking for?” she asked, in a manner made her seem like a clone of Jack.

            “Yes . . .”

            Major Stevenson seemed floored by her casual addressing of him.

            Annabelle grinned and prodded the Skeran closest to her with her hot glue gun. The gangly alien winced and cried out in pain at the slightest touch. She managed to force the trio forward until they were in front of Donna.

            The red-head scanned her device over the three. She smiled a bit.

            “That should take care of your breath,” Donna commented lightly. “Honestly, have you never heard of good dental care?”

            One growled at her. “We do not answer to you, woman.”

            Simultaneous reflexive grimaces came from Jack and Ianto. He should not have said that.

            “Oi, that’s my wife!” the Doctor said, his eyes narrowing.

            Donna gave them a steady look. “I’d be kinder to the woman who’s holding the device that has a direct link to your ships.” The one who had made the comment widened his eyes in fear. “Now, see, if I press this button, I can contact them.” She demonstrated. The device crackled and she spoke into it. “Hello, stinkies of the Skeran Alliance. This is Earth calling.”

            Moments later, a response came. “Who are you and why do you address the great Skeran Alliance so rudely? You shall be destroyed!”

            Jack lowered his gun, not suppressing his laughter. Ianto was grinning all too widely.

            “Oh, I should think not.” Donna was baiting them now.

            “And why is that?”

            Donna grinned at Annabelle, who came alongside her aunt.

            “Because,” Donna said, with a very straight face, “this is Donna Noble and I’m standing next to the young woman who’s got the hot glue gun on your goons down here.”

            There was a process. “ _The_ Donna Noble?”

            Jack raised an eyebrow. Apparently, Donna was famous among the Skerans and they had just cause to be afraid of her.

            “Oh yes.” Donna winked at Ianto. “And my friend here is Annabelle Harkness-Jones, daughter of Ianto Jones.”

            The trio glanced between Donna, Annabelle, and Ianto. Jack looked at Ianto and raised an eyebrow in question. The Welshman gave him a half a smile. This was definitely going to be a story for later.

            A humming filled the air and the three Skerans disappeared in a flash of light. The device in Donna’s hand beeped.

            “They leaving?” Annabelle asked.

            “Turned tail and hit the road, like the babies they are,” Donna confirmed.

            Then, and only then, did Jack holster his gun, Ianto following suit. Annabelle relaxed as her fathers pulled her into a joint embrace. She was shaking some, but she steadied after a few minutes.

            “You did good today,” Ianto whispered into her ear.

            Jack kissed the top of her head. “Made us proud, baby girl.”

            She looked between the two of them. “Is this what it’s always like for the two of you?” Two eyebrows raised in question and Annabelle gave an eye-roll that was worthy of Ianto. “Dealing with all of this alien trouble on a regular basis?”

            Ianto drew a deep breath. “Well, trouble does have a way of following us around,” he mused.

            “Pops up when we least it expect it, though.” Jack ran a hand through his hair, grinning a bit. “Kind of like a weed.”

            “Brilliant.” She huffed a bit. “It’s a good thing that I was working in the auditorium when the trio of the halitosis showed up. I was working on building the set for the new play with some friends and we have all sorts of stuff that we’re working with.”

            “Speaking of which,” the Doctor said, giving her an interested look, “how’d you know that Skerans don’t like heat too much.”

            “I improvised.”

            “Atta girl,” Jack said, a broad grin on his face.

            Annabelle pulled her improvised weapon off and pushed it into the Doctor’s hands. “Have fun,” she told the Time Lord, before looking at Jack and Ianto. “Am I allowed to skip class for the rest of the day?”

            Jack and Ianto shared a look. Ianto shrugged.

            “I don’t see why not,” he said. “You wouldn’t get much done for the rest of today anyway.”

            “Cool.”

            The girl smiled at them and, as they wrapped arms around her, they began walking away. Major Stevenson made a move as if to detain them, but the dual look from Jack and Ianto made him stop.

            “We’ll send you the paperwork later,” Ianto called.

            Stevenson shook his head.

            “So,” Jack asked, “how’s Nick?”

            Annabelle groaned. “I don’t think he’ll stick around much longer, to be perfectly honest.”

            “What? Why?” Ianto asked, surprised. “What happened? What did he do?”

            “Do we have to break any bones?” Jack followed up, looking down at Annabelle.

            She shook her head, not breaking her stride. “Hey, hey! As much as I appreciate your concern,” she said, her tone casual, “it won’t be needed. Let’s just say, some guys don’t seem to appreciate the fact that I clearly take after my fathers.”

            “Oh, I sense a story coming,” Ianto said, as they ducked under the police tape, heading to the car.

            “He came running into the auditorium after those aliens – Skarens, right? – teleported in. I did what anyone used to being around the weird and got myself armed with whatever I could, which is when I got a text from the TARDIS, saying that you guys were here. Well, you know the rest. I don’t think that Nick could keep up. He kind of had a terrified face on when I walked out with the glue gun and started blabbing about how it wasn’t safe and that we shouldn’t go out there. Told him that I had to do what I had to do. I don’t think he got it.”

            Jack and Ianto both started laughing. “Pity,” Jack said, “he seemed so nice.”

            “Nice, yes,” Annabelle agreed, “but a bit too normal.”

            “And we don’t do normal, apparently.” 

            “Clearly.” Ianto thought for a moment, before turning to Jack and saying, “You know what this means right?”

            “What?”

            “We’re going to have to get Annabelle a coat now.”

            Jack started laughing and nodded his head in agreement. “Well, she does take after us, Yan.”

            The eye-roll Jack earned was classic. “Attracting trouble is all you, Jack.”

            “And the fixing the problem? That’s you, Ianto.”

            The over-dramatic gag drew their attention to Annabelle. “Could you save the romance until I’m not around? Please? I’d like to keep my eyeballs intact today?”

            “When do you get so snarky?”

            “When I turned sixteen.”


	39. Meetings in a Bar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Four years after the events of Miracle Day, Rex Matheson meets an odd man in a bar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is absolutely no owning here. I’m merely playing with the shiny toys.

            It was a Tuesday evening and the bar was quiet.

            Rex leaned forward, his elbows on the bar. He sighed and rubbed his face tiredly. Four years . . . four years had been since Miracle Day had swept across the planet, since he had met Jack Harkness and Gwen Cooper, since he had joined Torchwood, since his eyes had been opened to the sheer size of the universe. Four years since Jack’s blood had forever changed him, made him into something like immortal.

            Four years since he had fallen in love (without realizing it) with Esther Drummond, only to lose her all too soon, when the world’s mortality was reignited.

            Her death, just as the Miracle was ending, hurt. Still hurt, he had to admit to himself, as he sipped his beer, remorsefully remembering how much he wished he had her back. He would do anything – and he meant anything – to have her returned, but that was just impossible. Jack had been very clear that personal timelines cannot be altered so drastically and that immortality was a bitch.

            Jack had told him that immortality would hurt.

            Hell, Rex had figured that out long before he even knew that he was immortal. Sitting at her funeral, when he had thought that he was still mortal, had been hard. Now he had to live for the rest of his life with the fact that he loved and had lost Esther. To be fair, Jack had sympathized with him, afterwards, before he had departed for Cardiff, following Gwen and Rhys. It was only then that Rex had seen the mask that Jack wore. He had seen the sadness that was beneath Jack’s mask and understood the depth of Jack’s pain. He felt bad about accusing Jack of not regretting that his team died.

            Because that was when Rex finally learned about how much Jack still mourned the death of Ianto Jones, the one person in the universe who saw beneath the mask of Captain Jack Harkness and loved him for it.

            Rex growled under his breath.

            Before he met Jack, Rex had a bright, brilliant future before him. He was intelligent, capable, and well-educated. He was going to be successful and have an illustrious career in the CIA. Rex Mathis had been _going places_.

            But then the man in the damn World War II coat showed up and the Miracle happened. Now, here he was, four years later, still immortal, with no sign of that changing in the imminent future. He had tried. After he had helped straightening out the CIA, he had started wondering the planet, in an attempt to forget his pain and _help_ people in Esther’s memory.

            He took another drink from his beer.

            “Rough day?” a quiet voice asked from beside him. The voice had a Welsh accent, Rex noted. He’d recognize one of those accents anywhere. Anyone who had experienced that which is Hurricane Gwen would recognize it.

            Rex looked over and raised an eyebrow at the man in the black trench coat who had just sat down on the stool next to him. The man seemed familiar, though Rex couldn’t quite place where he had seen him from.

            “What makes you say that?” he asked.

            The man smiled a bit and shook his head, running a hand through his gray-streaked dark brown hair.

            “No sane person is in a bar on a Tuesday evening, by themselves, obviously drowning their sorrows.” This man was clearly hit the nail on the head. “Besides, I know a man who did something similar for a while, though he pulled through after about five years.”

            “What happened to him?” Maybe, just maybe, Rex was a little bit intrigued – but only a little bit.

            “Reunions are great, especially when they’re with someone you love.”

            He shook his head. Damn happy people. “I don’t think he was in the same boat though. Person I loved – still love – died four years ago and she can’t come back.”

            A soft chuckle met Rex’s ears. “Maybe not, but, then again, Jack spent two years moping around, saved the world, then moped around another three years, before he found out I wasn’t quite as dead as he thought I was.”

            Jack . . . Rex perked up. The man noticed because he gave Rex a knowing smile as the bartender put a beer in front of him. He took a long draw from it.

            “So, what’s your story?” Rex cautiously asked. “What brings you here?”

            The man thought for a moment before answering. “I’m here to help you, Rex,” he said. “Make some amends for things that happened to you. You’ve survived a trial, but you still have a long future ahead of you, believe me, I checked.”

            Rex growled and clunked his beer down on the bar. How did this guy know his name?

            “Who are you?”

            The man smiled. “I’m someone a lot like you, Rex, someone who has survived death when they shouldn’t have, someone who was forever changed as a direct result of Torchwood and Captain Jack Harkness.”

            “You’re with Torchwood?” Okay, this was just getting plain freaky, even by his (forcibly revised by Torchwood) standards!

            The man nodded once, his dark blue eyes old and wise. “Once upon a time,” he commented, “I was a part of the Torchwood Three team, the one that watched over Cardiff, guarded the Rift, and saved the world.”

            Rex didn’t understand, couldn’t understand. “How? Everyone on that team died, everyone except for Jack and Gwen that is.”

            The man sitting next to him nodded. “We all did die. Most of the team stayed dead. Me, on the other hand, well, let’s just say that you and I have something very much in common.”

            “And what’s that?”

            “Jack Harkness is the reason that we’re both still sitting here, alive and immortal.”

            “What?”

            Whoever this guy was, he seemed to know way more he let on, probably more than Rex cared for him to know.

            “Though, knowing Jack, you have to admit,” the man said, giving him a quiet smile, “your path to immortality is way less interesting than mine. You just got a total blood transfusion of Jack’s blood.”

Rex heard the way the humor laced through his voice.

            “Okay, I’ll bite.” Might as well let the guy talk, Rex figured, it was safer that way. “How are you immortal?”

            “That’s the money question,” the man replied. “See, the interesting part about Jack is that he’s somehow capable of transferring a little piece of the Time Vortex – the thing that makes him immortal – to other people, via sexual encounters. Now, before you ask, he was only able to do it with someone he truly loves with all of his heart. Well, that, and Naked Hide-and-Seek.” The man thought for a moment, grinning broadly at some memory. He mused, “Naked Hide-and-Seek seems to solve a lot of our problems, come to think of it.”

            “Holy shit!” Realization dawned on Rex as he remembered an old conversation. “You’re Ianto Jones.”

            “In the flesh.” Ianto drank from his beer, smiling brightly.

            “But how?”

            Ianto rolled his eyes. “Really? After everything you’ve been through?” He waved a hand in front of his face. “Time Vortex! Naked Hide-and-Seek!”

            Rex wanted to curl up in a ball and drink this away, but fate, it seemed, had different plans for him.

            The bar door banged open and in strode one Captain Jack Harkness, customary grin on his face, coat swinging around him in its usual manner. The man was way too chipper for his own good.

            “If I had known we were going for drinks, I would have made an effort to look nicer, Jones, Ianto Jones,” Jack said, as he sidled up to the bar. After ordering a drink, he looked over. “Well, well, if it isn’t Rex Matheson, resident CIA immortal.”

            “Yeah, no thanks to you, World War II.” Rex was beyond annoyed at the moment. He was not expecting to see Jack for a long time, at least not without warning – that’s what Jack had promised.

            “And here I thought you missed me?” Jack asked, pretending to be hurt, as he took a drink from his freshly-arrived beer. “You could be nicer to people who bring you presents.”

            Rex rolled his eyes. “If you’re referring to yourself, sorry Harkness, but I don’t swing that way.”

            Jack’s grin widened even further as he slipped an arm around Ianto’s waist. “Well that’s good, because I hadn’t planned on sharing Ianto when I woke up this morning.” He leaned forward a bit, a sly grin on his lips. “I don’t think Ianto likes sharing me too much either. He gets a little possessive sometimes, though Yan gets sexy when he’s possessive. I think he gets annoyed when I bait him though.”

            “Funny,” Ianto quipped in return, slapping Jack’s leg, “that’s not what you said last night.”

            It only took a second for the innuendo to sink in and Rex choked on his drink. “Just when I though Harkness was enough!”

            “Well, when you’ve been around Jack as long as I have, it’s more of an acquired skill than anything else. Besides, this isn’t about us right now. It’s about you.”

            Jack tightened his hold on Ianto. “Don’t tell him _too_ much, Yan. It’ll ruin the surprise!”

            “What surprise?” Hell, Rex told himself, if Harkness was around, might as well be kind. Rex did owe the man something. He had grown on Rex, much to Rex’s own dismay, and Jack’s heart was in the right place – most of the time.

            “The future, Rex, the future!”

            Ianto patted Jack’s hand and explained, “What Jack means to say, is that we have this friend who can travel through time and Jack asked him, about ten or so years ago, to check in on you, to see where you were and all. Well, what he found looked pretty good for you and it will, if we were able to figure something out.”

            “Time travel? Is that your mysterious Doctor, Jack? Ten _years_ ago? I haven’t known you and Cooper that long.”

            A look passed between the two men that Rex caught before Jack nodded. “Yes, we asked the Doctor. Yes, he time travels and we’re actually from the future, about nineteen years in Earth’s timeline.” A grin flashed across Jack’s face. “See, at this point in 2015, we’re getting married, for the first time that is, isn’t that right, Ianto?”

            The Welshman nodded. “Right, it’s just before the wedding. Which means that the versions of us actually living through this time period are preparing for that and, more than likely, they are several thousand miles away right now and bouncing around the Time Vortex.”

            They were giving Rex a headache.

            “Then why are _you_ here?”

            Jack was clearly excited about something. “Because you don’t deserve to deal with your immortality on your own, Rex. I know what a curse and a burden it is, so, after much deliberation and much explanation, we’re bringing you something that should make it easier for you.”

            “Death?”

            Rex swore he saw a ghost of a smile cross Ianto’s face at his sarcastic comment, but he pushed that thought out of his mind at Jack’s reply.

            “Nope. Something better!”

            The door of the bar was pushed open again and in walked someone who shouldn’t have been there.

            Rex’s jaw dropped as Esther Drummond, as confident as he remembered her to be in the end, walked into the bar, her hair blowing forward from the wind outside. She met his eyes and smiled at him.

            “Hello, Rex.”

            “Esther!” He was standing and crossing to her in two seconds flat. “What?”

            She laughed. “I don’t know the logistics, but I was offered a choice – die or help you in your immortality. I chose the latter, clearly, and that made me like you.”

            He looked back at Jack and Ianto. “How?”  
            Ianto answered that question. “It took us four months to figure out how to make her immortal. The TARDIS helped with that one. It’s harder than it looks when you can’t force a Vortex event with sex.”

            “Rules out Naked Hide-and-Seek,” Jack added, earning an eye-roll and a little smile from Ianto.

            “He cheats. He always cheats.”

            “Though, we offered. Esther didn’t bite.”

            “Regardless,” Ianto continued, “we figured out how to make Esther immortal, found her, while she was still alive, gave her a choice, and, well, two days after her funeral, she became the same kind of immortal that you are. That was six months ago in her personal timeline.”

            “I had to spend the last six months getting caught up and getting the run-down from Jack, Ianto, Donna, and the Doctor,” Esther explained. She held up her wrist and pulled up her sleeve to reveal a strap and Vortex Manipulator much like the one that was on Jack’s wrist. “They gave me something that’ll allow us the chance to explore the galaxy.”

            “You’ll get bored on Earth after a while,” Jack said, a bit prophetically. “Besides, you’re not content to sit around and wait for the CIA to need someone weird to do its bidding.”

            Rex smiled. Jack was right about that one. He carefully reached out and took Esther’s hand, squeezing it.

            “I suppose it’ll be nice to go out and explore.” He looked at the two men. “Who knows, might run into your craziness along the way, World War II.”

            Ianto scoffed, looking at Jack. “World War II?”

            “It’s the coat.” Jack shook his head. “It’s seems that not everyone likes it as much as you do, Yan.”

            The Welshman’s brain had to be ticking, if Rex were to take a guess. “I wouldn’t have you any other way, cariad.”

            Jack smiled and kissed Ianto on the cheek. “Glad for that, love.”

            For a moment, Rex studied Jack. He seemed to be a lot more relaxed and in his element than the last time he had seen the man. Granted, last time had been soon after the end of the Miracle, Esther’s death, and his discovery of his own immortality. A gleam of light caught his eye and Rex looked at the rings sitting on a very important finger of Jack’s left hand. Right, Jack had mentioned something about a wedding.

            “I take it your Torchwood has been reestablished.”

            As soon as those words left his mouth, Rex regretted them. Esther tensed some beside him and he saw how a look crossed both Jack’s and Ianto’s faces. Whatever happened wasn’t good.

            “Not really,” Ianto replied, his tone clipped. “Torchwood died a timely death, buried in Cardiff, where it should be.”

            “But you still check in on Cooper?” Rex might not have been on the best terms with the woman, but he had to ask. She and Jack had been close, when they had worked together. “I mean, you did follow her back to Cardiff.”

            Jack shook his head. There was exhaustion and pain in his eyes.

            “Things happen and we drifted apart,” he said quietly. “We’ll tell you about it sometime.”

            Esther wrapped a hand around his waist, drawing his attention. “They told me and, Rex, you understand why people do what they do. Sometimes, choices are made and people change, for better or worse. Let this go for right now.”

            She was right.

            He smiled down at her. “Alright.” Esther gave him a brilliant smile. “You know, there’s something I’ve been meaning to do.”

            “What’s that?”

            Rex laughed and cupped Esther’s face, leaning down to kiss her. It was a brief, chaste kiss, but he hoped it made up for the years that they hadn’t had together.

            “That.”

            She was smiling. “That’s good.”

            Part of him was expecting some loud comment from Jack but, when he looked over, he only saw the two men – the two immortals – holding each other gently. He knew Jack. He knew that there was always something that he was hiding beneath the surface. They had butted heads on more than one occasion and, however grudgingly, had saved the world together. But Rex respected him. Jack had given so much in the line of duty, saving and protecting the planet, more than the ordinary person would ever think to give him credit for doing.

            The look on Jack’s face as Ianto leaned his head on his shoulder was nothing short of blissful and Rex found that he couldn’t grudge Jack his happiness. Those two just . . . fit together.

            And, as Esther tugged on his hand, he found himself feeling truly happy for the first time in a very long time.

            “Come on,” the blonde woman urged, “we’ve got a galaxy to explore.”

            That prospect was so enticing on its own but knowing that he had Esther along for the ride made it all the more better.

            As the bar door closed behind them, Rex swore he saw the same smug look on Jack’s face that had he hated, but he found that he didn’t care.

            They would run into Jack and Ianto again, Rex was certain of that. When they did, it would be so much better than before, because it would be the meeting of friends and equals that time.


	40. Iconic is Genetic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Given that Annabelle’s solved her first planetary problem, it should go without saying that she follows her fathers and gets an iconic coat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By now, it should be quite obvious. I don’t own.

            It was an unseasonably cold October morning when they found it. Both had kept their eyes open, looking for the appropriate gift for their daughter, so, when Jack had spotted it in the window of a store, it made perfect sense that this is what they presented to Annabelle, almost as a rite of passage, welcoming her into the crazy world that she was a part of, as their daughter and a fellow attractor of the odd and weird.

            Annabelle was completely stressed out, as any teenager on the brink of going to university would be. Applications would be due soon and she would be going off to pursue her degree.

            Regardless, ever since they had promised her that they would buy her a coat, it only made sense that they present it to her before she went off to university. Annabelle would need said coat when she went off to university. Her peers there would need to be knocked dead by her brilliance. But that proved to be harder than either one of them had expected it to be. Ianto and Jack had agreed, right from the get-go, that Annabelle’s coat had to be the fitting mix of confidence and trademark, which meant that finding an iconic coat for their daughter was more than a little difficult.

            She was a blend of the two of them, personality-wise, so there was no pull in either direction, which made this process even more trying on them. Besides, Ianto had argued, a World War II greatcoat wouldn’t suit her, since it was too flashy and dramatic, which suited the more open Jack, and a simple black trench coat would not reflect her unique personality the way it complemented the understated Ianto.

            Ergo, when they laid eyes on the coat waiting for Annabelle, both realized that it was perfect.

            It was a good thing that Ianto had inherited his father’s eye because the coat that was in the store was not a common design, as the proprietor of the store had explained to them, because it was exactly Annabelle’s size. Jack had practically started bouncing up and down in excitement. This was absolutely wonderful!

            Once they had the coat, it was only a matter of figuring out the presentation of the coat. They didn’t want to do it a grand manner because no one else would understand, save the Doctor and Donna, but those two were off on an adventure at the moment.

            Ianto had decided that they would leave it for her where she could see it when she got back from school.

            The two had locked themselves away in the office, pretending to be working on U.N.I.T. things, despite the fact that they had purposefully avoided doing anything that resembled work after they had found and purchased the coat. Annabelle would find the coat soon enough and they wanted to see her instant reaction. That, Jack had reasoned, was the benefit of being consultants and immortal ones at that. They had the luxury of avoiding non-important work when they were so inclined, especially when they didn’t have to deal with the now-dormant Rift that had refrained from spewing out oddities years ago.

            Annabelle’s squeal of delight alerted them to her arrival and discovery of the coat box sitting on the coffee table in the living room.

            Ianto poked his head out of the office, Jack leaning over his shoulder, both watching Annabelle as she set the little note that Ianto had penned. He had simply told her that she had earned her ‘stripes’ so to speak and her surprise was in the box. They watched as she opened the top of the box. Her face lit up into a bright smile as she pulled out the dark red leather duster from the box, shaking it out.

            She held it in her hands for a moment before she pulled it on. Ianto grinned with pride. His well-trained eye had yet to fail him.

            Annabelle twirled in the coat, letting the coat tails swirl around her in a slightly dramatic fashion.

            After a moment, Jack nudged Ianto and they left the office. Annabelle looked at them as they approached and launched herself at them, hugging them both.

            “Dad, Tad, it is perfect!” she exclaimed brightly. “I love it!”

            Jack kissed the top of her head. “You are our daughter, Annabelle. You helped to avert a potentially world-threating crisis and, as such, that means that you’ve earned your coat.”

            She was smiling happily at the two of them, her glee bubbling over. “How did you know that I loved this coat?”

            Ianto raised an eyebrow and briefly exchanged a look with Jack. Okay, neither one of them had expected that reaction. “We saw it in the store and it’s lucky that it was the right size, or else we would have had to raise a storm. But, I’ll admit it, neither of us knew that you had your eye on it.”

            A little blush crossed her cheeks. “I’ve been saving up to buy it, Tad.” She hugged them again. “Thank you so much!”

            The two immortals hugged her back.

            “No girl should have to buy her iconic coat,” Jack reasoned, “especially when iconic coat-wearing runs in the family.”

            “And when saving the world is in her genetic code.” Ianto couldn’t help but add that. “We expect great things out of you, Annabelle.”

            “I promise you I will do great things.”

            Annabelle was bouncing happily as she modeled the coat for a little bit longer. It really did suit her. She was, after all, Ianto’s daughter and, as a result, looked good in red. Jack had conceded that red suited her well.

            Still, when Donna called them up that evening to meet up with her, the Doctor, and the twins for dinner, it was only fitting that all three arrived at the restaurant wearing their coats. Annabelle had to show off her new coat and who better to show off said coat to than the Doctor, Donna, and the twins?


	41. Old Time Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Jack realizes that Ianto missed his fifteen-year high school reunion, they make good use of having a friend who is a time traveler.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, really no owning on my part here.

            It wasn’t too noisy and the DJ was playing decent enough music. The music drifted from the ballroom and into the lobby.

            In the grand scheme of things, this wasn’t the worst place to spend an evening – unless, of course, you’re Ianto Jones and your husband of more than twenty years decides that it would be a brilliant idea to coerce the Doctor into dragging you back into time to your fifteen-year reunion from high school.

            Jack’s heart was in the right place. Ianto had missed his ten-year reunion, mainly due to the unfortunate fact that the world thought that he was dead. He had missed his ten-year reunion due to the fact that, at the time, the rest of the world thought that he was dead. He had also missed this particular reunion the first time around because, at the time that it was going on, Jack was pregnant with Annabelle.

            Honestly, Ianto didn’t know why Jack was so insistent that they come, after he had found the invitation in some of their old papers, but Jack had thought that it would be nice, especially since, at that particular time in Earth’s timeline, people assumed that Ianto had faked his death and had been in Witness Protection. From there, it had only been a matter of asking the Doctor (and the TARDIS) to help them get back in time for the reunion – and disguise Ianto’s hair. As much as he liked the gray streaks, it would raise way too many questions as to why they were there, especially when he was supposed to be in his early thirties.

            Temporary hair dye was a wonderful thing, though Ianto was not going to make it a habit. He was too attached to the streaks now.

            But, now that they were here, it did seem like a nice prospect.

            Ianto was a little glad that he had forgone the tie and suit jacket this evening. He felt more relaxed. Jack had pouted a bit with the lack of tie, though Ianto had seen the little flash of delight that sparked through Jack’s eyes when he saw the waistcoat on the bed. To be perfectly honest, Ianto did like wearing them and he knew that Jack always appreciated it when he wore a waistcoat.

            He walked towards the door of the ballroom, his trench coat swirling around him.

            If he was going to go to his reunion, then he was going to wear his trench coat. That’s what he had told the Doctor when the Time Lord had dropped them off and had raised his eyebrow in surprise at his appearance. The coat was comfortable, familiar, and had an air of gravity.

            Plus, Jack had run off a few minutes before, saying that he had to check something before he met up with Ianto. Until then, Ianto was going to have to wait to introduce the love of his life to his former classmates.

.           A little smile crossed his lips at the thought of Jack.

            No doubt more than a few people would be hitting on Jack, meaning that Ianto would take great pleasure in being possessive.

            He walked up to the check-in desk, giving two people manning the desk a pleasant smile. Briefly, he glanced at their nametags and placed them – Emris Davies and Georgia Hopkirk.

            Memories of high school came flooding back. Emris and Georgia had been friendly enough with him back then, though he had lost touch with them after he moved to London and started at Torchwood. When he had returned to Cardiff, he had emailed them sporadically (when the job allowed) and met occasionally, though not enough to forge a strong friendship. And then . . . well, he died, so that nixed any further contact.

            “Hello,” Georgia said, looking up at him, studying his face. A smile split across her face. “Ianto Jones, it’s been a long time.”

            Ianto nodded. “Longer than you can imagine.”

            Emris laughed a bit. “You could say that, Mr. Action. Witness Protection? Honestly, Ianto, it’s like you were purposefully avoiding everyone there for a while.”

            He drew a careful breath, collecting his thoughts. “It wasn’t like I meant to cut people out,” Ianto explained, “but, secrecy being what it is, I had to keep as many people out of the loop as I could. Hell, I couldn’t even tell my parents I was still alive.”

            Georgia’s eyes were sparkling with laughter. She shifted through the papers in front of him, checking him off the list. She tilted her head to the side as she pulled out his nametag.

            “Says here you’ve got a guest coming with you,” she commented, clearly prompting him to answer that question.

            Ianto nodded. “We had to come separately. Work reasons, I promise. I came ahead to get us signed in.”

            “Because he gets mad when work interrupts relaxing evening,” a fourth voice said from behind Ianto. Ianto smiled a bit as Jack slipped up next to him, folding his greatcoat over his arm carefully, earning a raised eyebrow from Ianto. Jack gave him a little pout. “Oh come on, Ianto, I pay attention when you yell at me for being careless and causing wrinkles.”

            “Even when your eyes are glazed over, Jack?”

            Jack laughed. “Maybe not _all_ the time, but you know that I’m thinking about you when that happens.” Ianto shook his head at the flirtatious tone. Typical Jack Harkness. Jack looked at Emris and Georgia with a bright smile and a suggestive wink. “Captain Jack Harkness, the dashing plus one of one sexy Ianto Jones.”

            “Jack!”

            He rolled his eyes expertly.

            Emris recovered first, fishing the nametags from Georgia’s hands. “Right, here we are. Nametags all sorted out.”

            Jack took both from the man and attached his to his shirt before looking over at Ianto. He raised a suggestive eyebrow.

            “No, Jack, this will not be a strip-tease.”

            “Aw, you’re such a spoil sport, Ianto.”

            Ianto suppressed the exasperated sigh and the accompanying smile. Jack was enjoying himself and, well, Ianto wouldn’t have him any other way. “I know you, Jack and, as much as I love you, I am not going to subject my former classmates to the filth that runs around your brain.”

            “Admit it. You love my filthy brain, Ianto.” Jack’s smile was radiating and teasing.

            “I do, just not when we’re supposed to be making a good, _normal_ impression to the rest of the planet.”

            Both Emris and Georgia snorted into their hands.

            “You haven’t changed a bit, Ianto,” Emris commented. “Still keeping everyone in their place.”

            Jack grinned broadly. “That’s one of the reasons why I love him.”

            “That, and I make you coffee,” Ianto added. He glanced over his shoulder, seeing more people arrive. “Well, we won’t keep you any longer. We’ll see you in there.”

            With a smile and a wave, both men proceeded into the ballroom. Ianto took his nametag from Jack and clipped it to his waistcoat. He pulled his trench coat off. There was a coat check table in one corner and they left their coats there, side by side, seemingly innocuous.

            “High school reunions,” Jack commented, as they made for the open bar. “Don’t have those in the 51st century or, if they do, I never went.” The American immortal surveyed the room. “Though, now that I’m here, I have to say, it’s kind of a brilliant idea.”

            Ianto raised an eyebrow. “How so?”

            “Well, you get to see how people changed and what’s going on. Not everyone has the luxury of time travel to catch up with people.”

            Moments later, they got their drinks and were slowly walking around the perimeter of the room when they were accosted by a trio of people. Ianto slipped a well-practiced smile on his face.

            “Ianto, I can’t believe you’re here,” Gerry Robinson said, reaching out to shake Ianto’s hand. “Last I heard, you were dead.”

            “Silly rumor, really,” Ianto replied. “I’m not that easy to kill.”

            “Obviously,” Martin Smith said, smiling. Ianto remembered that Martin had been one of those people who had been very happy that Ianto had gone to be an archivist and junior researcher, even if he had been with Torchwood One.  “Though I heard about Canary Wharf, mate. If you can survive that, you can survive anything, I reckon.”

            Ianto nodded and heard Jack’s quiet wince, suppressing his own wince. Canary Wharf held bad memories for Ianto.

            “It’s been a long time since I worked out of London.”

            The woman in the group, Brenda Williams, giggled. “Word was that you were in Cardiff, working with – what was it – special ops there, and that got you into some trouble. What was that group you worked with again? Torchwood?” She sighed. “Strange group, though, you’ve clearly done well for yourself.”

            He saw how she eyed up both him and Jack. Jack saw it too, he knew.

            “By my personal standards, yeah, I’m doing all right,” Ianto commented. He shifted, closing the distance between himself and Jack some, sharing a look with his husband. “Gerry, Martin, Brenda, I’d like you to meet Jack Harkness.”

            Jack reached a hand out and shook all of their hands. “ _Captain_ Jack Harkness, Ianto’s husband.” The American immortal took Ianto’s hand and kissed his cheek. “You torment me, Yan!”

            Brenda gaped, clearly surprised that Ianto was married to another man. Gerry was quiet and fuming. Martin, on the other hand, gave the two of them a little smile.

            “I remember, once upon a time,” Martin commented, “you hated it whenever anyone called you that, Ianto.”

            He chuckled, thinking. “Things changed. Time passed. I met Jack.”

            Jack grinned. “Met? Stalked? Same difference.” Ianto gave him a steady look, if reproachful and reprimanding, look. “But you make godly coffee, Ianto, and you kept us running smoothly in Cardiff. What would we have done without you?”

            “Probably gone mad. Between a caffeine-deprived and well-equipped Owen, a cranky Gwen, and the brilliantly warped mind of Toshiko, you wouldn’t have known how to handle yourself.”

            Oh the memories.

            “Well, you’re right about that,” Jack conceded.

            The three gave the odd looks. “You were both with this Torchwood?”

            Ianto nodded. Torchwood was, by this point, remembered by most of the world as the organization that could handle the weird – well, before U.N.I.T. stepped in. Even then, he and Jack occasionally did things in the name of Torchwood Three, when their unique expertise was required.

            “We were,” he said. “Jack led and I administrated.”

            “And managed the archives and kept us operating and kept us in constant supply of the best coffee in the known universe,” Jack added, looking between Gerry, Martin, and Brenda, his tone indicating that he was dead serious. “Don’t be fooled by that exterior. Ianto’s coffee can end wars.”

            And it had, in more than one case, not that they were going to tell _those_ stories.

            “Oh, I believe it,” Gerry admitted, smiling a bit, looking at Ianto. “If I remember correctly, didn’t you work at the local coffee shop part time during high school? Something about saving up for your own shop one day?”

            That memory came back to him and Ianto nodded through the remorse of his unfulfilled dreams.

            “Yeah, I did.” He looked at Jack, saw the questioning look in his eyes, and elaborated, “That’s where I first learned how to make coffee. It was this local shop, around the corner from school and the couple that owned it were very generous in hiring me. Winifred was the one who taught me how to make coffee and to bake. She was a mentor to me, back in those days, and put up with all of my crap. She helped straighten me out too. I miss her.”

            Jack grinned appreciatively. “Well then, I owe this Winifred, more than she’ll ever know.” He pulled Ianto close to him and kissed him lightly.

            Ianto smiled and, knowing that they had an audience, kept the show from going to where Jack would inevitably take it. Jack’s little pout was so rewarding.

            He turned back to the three in front of them and swiftly changed the topic away from them. Jack’s arm stayed firmly around his waist for the rest of the conversation, as if Jack was staking his claim on Ianto for the rest of the gathered crowd to see.

            Not that Ianto minded at all.

            It was nice when Jack was possessive of him. It meant that Jack had recognized the fact that there were people who were ready to flirt with both of them. Normally, Jack would harmlessly flirt back but, on the rare occasion, said flirting might do more harm than good.

            Besides, Jack was so sexy when he went out of his way to be possessive.

            In the end, the evening was successful. Ianto and Jack had managed to stave off the worst of the flirters and had answered (fairly honestly) the questions that were posed to them about what they did and how they met. Most of Ianto’s former classmates had heard, in passing, about Torchwood, mainly from the rumor mill that extended from Cardiff, though the name of Torchwood had been circulated some during the events of Miracle Day.

            A few hours later, as the reunion was ending, Jack and Ianto reclaimed their coats, slipping them on.

            As they walked out of the room, side by side, head held high, Ianto noticed how a few people seemed to back away from them, not because they were scary or intentionally being imposing. It was something else, Ianto realized.

            And, when the Doctor came to reclaim them, he realized that it was how at ease both were with one another, how they were able to move in sync with each other, silently communicating. Well, he admitted to himself, they had had years of practice to perfect it and they would have many years to come.

            When they had retreated into the depth of the TARDIS, into their suite, Ianto drew Jack in for a kiss.

            “Thank you for making me go to the reunion, Jack.”

            Jack grinned the trademark Harkness grin. “It was fun, wasn’t it?”

            He nodded. “Yeah, yeah it was.”

            “You know, we’re going to have to go see that Winifred lady and the coffee shop you used to work at, Ianto.”

            Ianto rolled his eyes. “Really, Jack?”

            He already knew the answer to that question before he opened his mouth.

            “Well, yeah, if you were going to open your own shop, I want to see where it all started.” Jack gave him a sneaky grin. “Plus, I want to see if their coffee is better than yours.”  
            “I think it is” Ianto admitted. “I try to match their standards their standards though I’ve had ages to practice.”

            Jack wrapped his arms around Ianto, nuzzling into the crook of his neck. “I don’t know about _that_ , but I want to go see it anyway, because that shop was important to you.”

            And Ianto understood.

            “Love you, Jack.”

            “Love you too, Ianto.”


	42. History of the Coffee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack and Annabelle the people who taught Ianto how to make coffee. Ianto/Jack. Forty-first in the “Immortal Janto” series.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, how I wish I did own, but, sadly, I do not.

            The shop was quaint and charming, cozy in a way that wasn’t too overbearing. It felt something like home, which wasn’t typical of most of the coffee shops that Jack had been to in his many years. But, as he walked into the store and breathed in the comforting aroma of coffee and treats, he felt the connection to Ianto’s past. It wasn’t a busy afternoon, a school day and most people at work. Snow was falling lightly outside, a clear sign of the winter ahead, though, inside, the cold wasn’t a question.

            Ever since he had gotten Ianto back, Jack had been glad that they were such good friends with the Doctor because, even for this one afternoon, they were able to find closure.

            Jack knew, all too well, how immortality would hurt, especially when loved ones died off and they were left behind. True, it would be easier for the both of them, now that they had each other, but Jack felt his heart ache, knowing that Ianto still had grim years ahead of him. He hoped that Ianto would never become the jaded and distant person that Jack had been for more years than he cared to think about. He would do everything in his power to keep Ianto from going down that road because it was too easy, too tempting, and too dark.

            And he knew that Ianto was a good person at his core.

            Still, as he sauntered up to the counter, a comfortable grin on his face, Annabelle at his side, Jack eyed up the older woman behind the counter. He brushed the last few flakes of snow off of his greatcoat, while Annabelle merely grinned in pride. Briefly, Jack wondered how she had managed to figure out a way of keeping snow from settling on her duster. It had to be the TARDIS, he concluded. The old girl was particularly fond of her surrogate niece.

            From the pictures that Ianto had showed him, this had to be Winifred. The care-worn age lines creased her face, giving her a distinguished appearance. Laugh lines only heightened the classic beauty of the woman. She must have been a total knock-out in her youth, though Jack still found himself appreciating her beauty.

            “What can I do for you, dearies?” she asked, smiling genuinely at them, her Welsh accent lilting.

            Jack chuckled. “We’d like to order three cups of your house coffee. It comes highly recommended.”

            “And muffins!” Annabelle added, grinning. Oh, she was Jack’s daughter and had inherited his sweet tooth. “Two blueberry and a chocolate chip. Tad says that these are the best muffins in all of Wales.”

            Winifred blushed a tiny bit as she rang them up. “Well I’m glad that I made an impression.” She looked between the two of them. “Will someone be joining you soon?”

            “Yep,” Jack replied, handing over the appropriate funds for their food. “Ianto’s running a little late. He had to make a few calls.”

            He saw how Winifred tilted her head to the side at the mention of Ianto. She must have made a few connections, but she didn’t say anything. Jack gave her a word of thanks as he and Annabelle moved over to a table by the bay window to wait on their order, from where he could watch both the door and Winifred as she busied herself, calling instruction to her husband and the few others who were working in the store.

            A few minutes later, Ianto came bustling in, brushing flakes of snow off of his coat. He looked over and spotted Jack and Annabelle, a smile on his face. A few naughty thoughts shot through Jack’s brain about all of the things that they could do in the snow. However, he was forcibly removed from said happy thoughts by a swift kick to his shin, delivered by (none other than) Annabelle.

            The knowing look she gave him was pure Ianto, even down to the little disapproving eye-roll.

            Ianto slid into the free seat next to Jack. He looked over at Winifred, who was deeply engrossed in her work. Jack saw a fond smile cross his face.

            “This place hasn’t changed much,” Ianto mused, out loud.

            “I bet you had a blast working here, Tad,” Annabelle commented. She smiled at him, choosing her words carefully, knowing the cover story that they had to adopt whenever they traveled back in time. “What was it like, back then?”

            “After school lets out, this place would fill up,” Ianto said. “Everyone wanted caffeine and sweets after class, not that I could blame them. Winifred’s coffee is amazing and she’s so sweet. Albert, her husband, makes some of the best treats imaginable.”

            Jack took Ianto’s hand and squeezed. He heard the quiet remorse in Ianto’s voice. “They seemed to have rubbed off on you and, for that, the rest of us are grateful.”

            Just then, Winifred appeared, carrying a tray with their coffee. Behind them, an older man, who could only be Albert, her husband, had their muffins. Ianto looked up at them and smiled.

            “Ianto Jones,” Winifred exclaimed happily, putting the tray down on the table, “you should know better than to sneak in without saying anything.”

            Ianto stood up to embrace her. “I was waiting to surprise you, Winifred, Albert,” he said. Albert delivered the muffins and followed his wife in hugging Ianto. “It’s so nice to see you two.”

            “And you, my boy,” Albert said. The man looked at his wife, who nodded. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll get us muffins and we’ll join you. The staff can do without us for a little while.” Albert looked between Jack and Annabelle. “That is, if your company doesn’t mind putting up with some old-timers like us.”

            “You’re hardly old-timers,” Jack commented, grinning. “Besides, Ianto’s told us so much about you.”

            Winifred laughed as she pulled up two chairs to the table. A minute later, Albert had returned with two muffins – lemon and raspberry – and two cups of coffee.

            “Now, why don’t you introduce us and I’ll forgive your absent manners, Ianto,” Winifred prompted, as Albert sat down, laughter in her voice and a little twinkle of familiar pride in her eyes.

            The smile on Ianto’s face was so rewarding.

            “Of course, Winifred, Albert, I would like you to meet Captain Jack Harkness, my husband, and our daughter, Annabelle.” Ianto laid his hand on Jack’s in a quiet, yet loving (and slightly possessive, if Jack had any opinion on the matter) way. “Jack, Annabelle, as you’ve probably guessed, this is Winifred and Albert, owners and proprietors of the shop and my mentors in many ways.”

            “Including the making of delicious coffee,” Jack said, before taking a sip of his coffee, as if to emphasize his point. Seconds later, his eyes widened in awe and he looked at Ianto. This coffee was _good_. There was something about it that was very familiar and very comforting, something that he knew so well from Ianto’s coffee, but it had a little hint of _something_ extra that made it different, made it unique and different from Ianto’s coffee. “You weren’t kidding, Yan. This is _amazing_!”

            Ianto rolled his eyes. “I’ve told you this before, but do you listen?”

            Jack cheekily shook his head, grinning. “Sometimes, though everyone knows that I love your coffee.”

            “More than you should, Dad,” Annabelle replied, dryly. She looked at Winifred and Albert, her eyes sparkling with humor and wisdom beyond her years. “I apologize for Dad. He’s a small child sometimes.”

            Albert chuckled and looked over at Ianto. There was a knowing look in his eyes. “Then he’s a good balance for you then, Ianto. You always were too quiet and reserved, back when you were in school.”

            Jack saw Ianto flush in that adorably humble way of his.

            “I’ve done a lot of growing since then.”

            There was a bit of a laugh in Ianto’s voice and Jack knew that he had intended for the subtle innuendo to be taken as such. It was only because they were with two old friends and mentors that Jack refrained from making the comment he so wanted to make.

            “I have to ask, if you don’t mind me asking,” Winifred said, “you both look so young to have such a grown-up daughter.”

            Jack met Ianto’s eyes. He was so glad for Ianto’s foresight and planning.

            “They adopted me,” Annabelle explained, falling into the cover story that they had rehearsed and perfected. “My parents were killed in the line of duty for the Crown. I was very young when they took me in and they’ve raised me as their own daughter ever since.” She smiled at both Jack and Ianto, her love shining through. “They’re the best fathers a girl like me could ask for.”

            Her words were sincere and Ianto leaned over to press a kiss against the side of her head.

            “We love you too, little angel.”

            Jack felt his heart swell with love at the pure sweetness of the interaction between father and daughter. He saw both Albert and Winifred smile genuinely at that little gesture.

            “You know, Ianto, I never expected you to be the type to marry a man,” Albert commented pensively, a moment later. “Never expected you to be into men either.”

            Ianto grinned, clearly remembering an old conversation he had once had with his older sister.

            “Not men, just Jack. Besides, Jack and I had our rough patches before we got to a place where we were both happy and comfortable. It was a hard road, but the saying, ‘Love conquers all,’ applies to us.”

            Memories raced through Jack’s mind. He looked at Albert and Winifrend, giving them a dead serious look, despite the smile on his lips.

            “On behalf of everyone who’s ever been fed or caffeinated by Ianto,” Jack said, with all sincerity and gravity, “I will have to thank you both. He’s the reason that we were able to pull long nights at work. His coffee is legendary among our friends and colleagues for being some of the best in the known universe.”

            “Not the best, Jack,” Ianto argued. He lifted his cup. “ _This_ is the best coffee in the known universe. Winifred and Albert are the standards and I merely attempt to copy.”

            “Boys!” Winifred exclaimed, as if sensing that this conversation could very well escalate. Both Ianto and Jack looked at her. “No arguing or your coffee will be revoked.”

            Jack’s jaw dropped in shock and he looked at Ianto.

            “Everything about you makes so much more sense now, Yan.” He was totally amazed. At the two confused looks, Jack elaborated, “Ianto sometimes holds the threat of revoking coffee over our heads in order to motivate us to work harder. The first few years that I knew him, he had everyone we worked with whipped since he was the only one who could actually get the coffee machine to work. Even now, I’m only allowed to use the coffee machine under his or Annabelle’s supervision.”

            “And with good reason, Dad,” Annabelle added. “You broke the last three.”

            “Not my fault!”

            “You got decaf for a week each time,” Ianto reminded him.

            Jack chuckled at the memory. “Oh. Right.” He ate a piece of his muffin. “Ianto, admit it, you can be cruel and unusual when you want to be.”

“            Only when it’s deserved or if I’m feeling sick. The coffee suffered that time I got the flu and you refused to let me do anything other than the bare minimal until I recovered,” Ianto commented. That had been an interesting week, watching as Tosh, Owen, and Gwen grudgingly accepted Ianto’s less-than-godly coffee, knowing that it was _still_ far better than instant or Starbucks. “Besides, you remember the ten days of instant after Owen destroyed the cataloguing system that I had been working on creating, simply because he was having a bad day.”

            That memory made Jack cringe.

            He looked at Winifred and Albert. “You have to realize, during the first few years that I knew Ianto, all he had to do was threaten decaf or instant and everyone at our work would fall in line because we love Ianto and his coffee way more than we reasonably should. Still do, come to think of it. Though, after those ten God-awful days of instant, Owen was never allowed into the archives again without supervision.”

            “I’ll believe it,” Albert said, with a laugh. “That seems like something you would do, Ianto.”

            Winifred sipped her coffee for a moment, studying Jack. He saw how her eyes flicked over his greatcoat, assessing him not as a male, but as the person who was clearly one of the most important things in Ianto’s life. After a few moments, she looked to Ianto.

            “Where did you find him, Ianto?” she asked, clearly meaning Jack. Ianto had seen her assessment of him too.

            Ianto started to laugh.

            “In a cupboard. Under some stairs.”

            “With some Red Vines.”

            All eyes went to Annabelle, who looked back at them over her coffee cup with wide eyes. She shook her head and huffed indignantly.

            The young woman sighed dramatically, knowing that she had lost everyone except Ianto, who understood because, well, he’s Ianto and Jack had learned long ago to accept that fact that Ianto knew everything. Annabelle shook her head, clearly a bit sad that Jack hadn’t picked up on her cultural reference. He made a mental note to ask her and Ianto about it later, back in the quiet of the TARDIS.

            “Regardless,” Winifred said, with a little laugh, “it’s good to see you, Ianto. We always expected you to do great things, though I was sad when you went to work for the government.” She shook her head. “You had such great plans to open your own shop one day.”

            That was the second time Jack heard someone mention Ianto’s “great plan” for a shop of his own. He didn’t say anything but, based on the look in Ianto’s eyes, he knew that there was sadness and regret there. He made a silent promise to himself to talk to the Welshman about it later, when they were alone.

            “There’s still time, Tad. You can still get it up and running.”

            Annabelle’s voice was bright and hopeful and, for that, Jack was grateful. She had seen the darkness creeping into Ianto’s eyes as plain as Jack had.

            “Maybe,” Ianto replied quietly. He took a drink of his coffee, judging it for a moment. “Is this a new blend?”

            Winifred nodded. “Picked it up a few years ago from this company that sent us a free sample.” She was pensive for a moment. “It’s an interesting blend, but a lot of people like it. The company we buy it from has become quite well-known in the last year or so.” She turned to her husband. “What’s the company again, Albert?”

            “I. J. H. Plantations, Inc.,” Albert replied. “Out of the blue, a few years back, they sent us free samples of some of their products.” He saw their questioning looks. “It’s this coffee and tea company and all of our customers seem to like the blends we get from them. No one really knows much about the company, but they have the oddest logo – a pteradactyl, or something like that, if I remember.”

            Jack and Ianto shared a look. This was an . . . interesting and odd turn of events and definitely warranted further investigation on their part.

            “Blend we use most often in the shop is called the Industrial Strength Roast.” Winifred sighed. “Odd name, don’t you think? But the company has all sorts of odd blends that can be ordered.”

            Jack took another sip of his coffee.

            Oh yes, he could really tell the Ianto-ness in the coffee, though there was that touch to it, that was different. But still, as he swallowed, he gave a secret smile to Ianto.

            Time travel was a beautiful thing, if he said so himself.

            As the conversation turned away from coffee companies and onto lighter topics, Jack knew what their new project was going to be. If they had immortality in front of them, then what better way to start out than researching a coffee company that bore a striking resemblance to their lives.

            Still, as Jack watched how Ianto interacted with Winifred and Albert, he felt a surge of affection to the older couple.

            They might not realize how great their influence on and teaching of Ianto had shaped the future of the planet for the better. And, in a very personal thought, he hoped that they realized that their coffee-making lessons paid off – because one of the reasons why Jack had really considered hiring Ianto in the first place was all due to that one amazing cup of coffee that had been offered to him.

            After all, he had known that there was some story behind the coffee.


	43. Realizing a Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The creation of I. J. H. Plantation, Incorporated comes to fruition, thanks to the creative juices of two immortals and their weird extended family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Absolutely no owning here. I am merely a vessel of the creative imagination and wishful thinking.

Time travel was, decidedly, very useful when you were destined to own your own coffee and tea company, especially when you don’t discover that you are destined to own said company and its start-up date is in the past.

2013 was when I. J. H. Plantation, Inc. officially was started. Their first shipments of coffee and tea blends went out in early 2014, after months of trials and tribulations.

Ianto knew that opening the company would take a lot of time and effort. As such, he was glad that Jack had been agreeable about moving to that time period (at least temporarily) with him. It had taken a lot of planning on their part so that they would be able to avoid their past selves. And, once the legal logistics had been sorted out, it had been a matter of deciding how they were going to run the company.

Jack had proved to be very helpful in that department.

Officially, Ianto was the majority-stakes owner of the company, though his stocks were divided up between himself, Jack, and Annabelle. The rest were stocks owned (first) by their initial employees, then sold to others as the company grew. There was a board that ran the company in his absence because, officially, he was off on a continual quest to find new, interesting brews and blends for the company to test, manufacture, and blend.

After that, it was solely a matter of periodically checking in to deliver his “new” ideas. Ianto had had years of travel and experience with the Doctor to come across blends that he liked and could be manufactured on Earth during the time period. He was glad that the Doctor had gone along with it. He had, after all, promised a small portion of stock in the company to the Doctor and Donna for putting up with this – as well as both a coffee blend and a tea blend named after them (the TARDIS’ request).

They had come with more than a few that were named after their friends and loved ones though Ianto was extremely careful about preventing total disclosure.

A coffee and cumin mixture had reminded both Jack and Ianto very much of Owen and his _shocking_ attitude, while a jasmine and gingerroot tea mixture had made both of them think about Tosh and her interesting ideas. The dark chocolate coffee blend that Jack had slyly suggested ended up being a signature blend – though they both thought about Myfanwy and her love of dark chocolate.

Myfanwy herself, the loveable pterodactyl that she was, was clearly the reason why the company’s logo was what it was. Who else would choose a pterodactyl to represent their company?

The name of the company itself had been easy to figure out, once Annabelle had pointed it out. It was their initials, though they dropped one of the “Js” because it was too redundant. Jack had agreed with him, with some convincing.

But, in the end, it was all worth it. All of their hard work paid off in the end. I. J. H. Plantation, Inc. would eventually become a huge success and become _the_ leading coffee and tea provider on the planet (and, eventually, this end of the galaxy, though that day was many centuries away).

Once Jack and Ianto had been returned to the time period that they were meant to be in (late 2035), they had a get-together where the guest list consisted of only close friends and family to celebrate this new milestone in Ianto’s and Jack’s life – which basically turned into a barbeque in the backyard at the Doctor’s and Donna’s house. Ianto was not one for going overboard in celebrations. It was more fun this way.

And, hours later, once everything had been cleaned up, everyone had gone home, and Annabelle was back at school, Ianto and Jack returned to their flat in London (they had closed up the house that they had lived in while Annabelle had grown up for Annabelle’s use in the future).

Once inside and their coats shrugged off and hung up, Jack pulled Ianto in for a kiss.

“Congratulations, Mr. Company-Owner,” Jack said, cheekily. Ianto laughed.

“And what does that make you, Jack?”

Jack chuckled.

“Yours.” They walked into the kitchen and Ianto went through the familiar paces of making coffee for the both of them. “So, what are you going to do now that your dream has been realized?” Jack asked.

For a moment, Ianto thought, considering the options.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I mean, we’ll both be involved in the company, but in a more creative function than legal way.”

Jack’s hand slipped around his waist.

“Do you miss traveling with the Doctor?” he asked quietly.

“Sometimes. I mean, we agreed that we wouldn’t travel as much when Annabelle was growing up, but now that she’s in university?”

“We could travel some, find new coffees,” Jack suggested.

Ianto nodded. “That would be nice.”

They stood there for a few minutes, as the coffee was brewing. Ianto leaned back against Jack’s chest, relishing in the closeness of his lover.

“Hey, Yan,” Jack said. Ianto turned a bit, acknowledging Jack. “I’m proud of you. The company? It’s brilliant.”

“Thanks, Jack.”

They didn’t need any words besides that for this conversation.

“I love you,” Jack quietly whispered. Ianto could almost hear the grin in his voice. “Let’s get married now - again.”

“Right now?” Ianto asked, dryly. “Because I’m pretty sure you’ll want coffee first.”

Jack rolled his eyes. “Okay, maybe _right_ now.” He kissed Ianto’s neck. “Besides, we haven’t had a chance to _celebrate_.”

The tone in Jack’s voice promised a world of pleasure.

“Yes, Jack.”

“Yes?” Jack batted his eyes at Ianto, feigning innocence. “To what?”

“I’m saying yes – to the marriage and to the celebration.”

The kiss that Jack planted on his lips was warm and encouraging. Their coffee would go very cold in the pot before they thought about it again, but, then again, Ianto didn’t mind the distraction.

Jack’s distraction was always so wonderful.


	44. Undeniable Horrors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning, this will be a tear-jerker, so you better get your tissues ready for this one.

**The Death**

All hell was literally breaking loose around him.

It was easy enough to avoid the bullets that were flying past him. After all, years spent running, both as a part of Torchwood and traveling with the Doctor gave them really good reflexes. Still, every time bullets starting whizzing and they were put into a life and death position, Ianto always got concerned – not so much for the fact that they couldn’t stay, but because everyone else would.

As he ducked behind a pillar to draw a steadying breath, he checked his gun. The gun fire died down. He swore vehemently.

He was out of ammo.                               

Ianto was out of ammo and he was separated from the rest of the group by a wide hallway that contained way too many enemy gunmen. He would never get out of there alive or in one piece.

And he and Jack were supposed to be getting married – again.

Fate, it seemed, had other ideas and, as such, demanded that they postpone their happiness for another day. Ianto wasn’t on good terms with Fate at the moment. Jack probably wasn’t either, but Ianto didn’t want to speak for Jack right now.

Drawing a deep breath, he tilted his head to the side a little bit, feeling the comm in his ear, glad that they had salvaged that particular bit of technology from the remains of Torchwood Three. These comms came in handy, though he knew that the message that he was going to relay back to the rest of the group wouldn’t be easy for anyone. He had done what he had been tasked to do, though he was going to die as a result of this task.

It sucked that, here he was, in another governmental building, about to face his imminent demise. But, Ianto thought to himself grimly, at least this time, they had been successful in stopping an alien race from coming down and wreaking havoc on the unsuspecting human race. However, they had gone in to deal with the situation without the support (or express approval) of the American government – hence, the gunmen who were poised to take down an immortal fugitive of the law.

Figures.

Despite everything that they had done for the safety of the planet and the fact that they were (officially) on Torchwood business (despite the fact that Torchwood was considered to be a “retired” secret organization), the American government didn’t take to having six people storm into a building, demanding authority. Even though Torchwood had been instrumental in ending the Miracle, all those years ago, the American government still did not look favorably on the organization, though Ianto saw no reason to dislike them.

Regardless, he had to grin at the humor of the situation, thinking about how six people (mainly British) had managed to dupe the Americans to get into a very secure and very well protected governmental building.

It would have been eight people who stormed the building, but S.J. had volunteered to operate this mission remotely from the TARDIS and Ianto had flat-out refused to pull Annabelle out of university to solve a problem. She already had enough to worry about without the problem of trying to save the world. Starting university was a stressful time. Besides, they had enough people on this to handle it, especially since Theo had clearly taken after both Mickey and Martha, inheriting their world-saving traits, and had proven quite successful in his acting abilities – throwing the Americans in the place for a loop when an operative they had assumed was from the CIA began speaking in his native accent.

 Still, Ianto was drawn out of his thoughts as a demand from the military contingent that had their guns trained on the pillar that he was using as a shield was thrown out.

“Surrender yourself and you won’t be harmed.”

He gritted his teeth and touched his comm, quietly saying, “I’m out of ammo and I don’t think they’ll let me out of custody for a good long while.”

“Just do what they say,” Jack pleaded, his voice worried. “We can work out the legality of having you released later.”

Ianto felt love surge through him. Jack’s worry was well-founded. Still, the temptation of being unharmed and going into custody sounded nice, but anyone who had survived as long as both of them knew that, as soon as the American government got wind of the fact that he was one of the elusive Torchwood immortals, then they would do everything in their powers to keep him in custody (using every technicality they could scrounge up) – and with good reason.

He and the rest of the group had all overstepped a few laws while here.

“You know it’s too good to be true, Jack,” he whispered. “I know I promised that I would never say good-bye ever again.”

“Ianto, don’t!” Jack’s voice hitched.

"Listen to Uncle Jack, Uncle Ianto,” Theo’s voice was soft and Ianto was keenly aware of the fact that he was only twenty-two and was about to witness (albeit a bit removed) the (rather gruesome) death of one of his immortal, beloved uncles.

For a few moments, he could hear the pleading of his TARDIS crew family, save the Doctor. They were trying to keep him from getting himself killed, though they all knew, deep down that it was an inevitable fact.

"I’m sorry, but I have to,” he calmly said. “As soon as they start firing, get the TARDIS out of here. I can buy you enough time to get out without being harmed. Come back for me when you can.”

The half-second before the response hung in the air and it was near timeless.

“We will, Ianto. I promise,” the Doctor promised – and Ianto believed him.

"I’ll see you on the other side.” Ianto hoped that his voice was upbeat, though he knew that he was not convinced.

“I love you, Ianto,” Jack said, his voice wobbling, on the verge of tears, though he could hear Jack trying to be strong for him.

Ianto smiled, glad to hear those words in his ear.

"Love you too, Jack.”

And, with the image of Jack’s face flashing across his mind, Ianto stepped around the pillar, holding his useless gun in a firing position. That was all the military needed. Multiple cracks cut through the air and he felt searing pain rip through him as they shot him down.

As he stumbled back a few steps and then fell to the ground, dying, he heard the klaxons of the TARDIS rumbling as it slipped away from this place. It was music to his ears.

Ianto Jones laughed as the darkness took him.

**The Awakening**

Pain – bright, brilliant, blistering pain.

His limbs flailed as air flooded his lungs and his heart began to beat wildly, trying to push halted blood through his veins. Goosebumps rose on his skin. Damn, he had never been this cold before. He hurt all over, keenly aware of the cause of his death, and he was trying to catch his breath.

As the pain began to subside (slowly), Ianto became aware of the arms holding him tightly, attempting to steady him as he shook violently in his painful return from death. He gasped for breath and fleeting warmth as his body readjusted to the life that had flooded back to him. He could feel the numbness slowly easing.

He was in the TARDIS, he knew, as awareness of the surrounding room slowly came to him.

 Jack whispered quiet words into his ear as he tried to steady himself.

"I'm fine," he gasped out, between breaths, though he didn't believe and he  _knew_ Jack didn't believe it either.

The Doctor entered his field of vision and Ianto blinked, the blurriness in his eyes clearing with every passing second. Concern was written all over the Doctor's face and, given that the Doctor had been around for more than a few of his deaths and had never seemed this concerned before, Ianto felt a stab of fear punch through his gut. He tried to draw a deep breath to steady himself.

But he couldn't.

He couldn't catch his breath.

"Doc? What's going on?" Jack's voice was urgent and worried.

Ianto blinked as the sonic screwdriver was directed at his eyes. He blinked, his breathing starting to settle some, though he still hurt.

"I don't know," the Doctor admitted, his voice quiet.

“What’s going on?”

It hurt Ianto to speak even those three words, though he clung to Jack’s arms.  This wasn’t good, he knew. He could _feel_ it. Coming back from the dead had never felt like this before.

“Those soldiers were hell-bent on killing you, Ianto Jones,” the Doctor explained, pocketing the sonic screwdriver. “You got over two dozen bullets in you before you fell.” The Time Lord looked very concerned. “Somehow I think that those bullets have left a residual effect on you.”

His breath was finally starting to steady but he knew that he couldn’t find the breath to speak fully. Ianto squeezed at Jack’s hands.

“What does that mean?”

The Doctor sighed. “We know that you’re immortal, Ianto, but the fact that the Time Vortex in you is smaller than in Jack seems to have finally started to affect you.” The realization felt like a block of ice in his stomach. “You won’t stay dead, but that doesn’t mean that coming back is going to be as easy as it is for Jack. You –” The Doctor’s voice broke briefly. “You could stay dead for hours, days, or longer, before you come back.”

He looked at the Doctor and nodded, understanding. Jack tightened his hold on Ianto.

Ianto didn’t have the words for it at the moment, but the one pronouncement from the Doctor seemed to pack a harder punch that being felled by all of those bullets. It was almost as bad as holding Annabelle when she learned of her own inherited immortality.

Tears welled up and slipped out of the corners of his eyes.

Ultimately, he didn’t know how they got back to their suite on the TARDIS. Jack probably supported him or carried him back.

All Ianto was aware of was Jack’s arms around him and the soft, comforting words that he whispered, promising that it wouldn’t be bad, that they could survive it. He knew that they would. They had gotten through worse before, but this was a shock that would take time to process.

He must have slept at some point because the next thing Ianto knew, he was blearily waking up, wrapped in blankets, with Jack lying quietly beside him, his arm over Ianto’s waist.

Ianto rolled onto his side tenderly, aware of his protesting stomach muscles. Jack gave him a brilliant smile as their eyes met. Pure emotion and unabashed love radiated from Jack’s bright blue eyes.

“Morning, sunshine,” Jack said, his voice a bit hoarse from sleep. “How are you feeling?”

Briefly, he paused to assess his body and catalogue the pains.

“Better.”

“That’s good.” Jack gently cupped his cheek and leaned in to kiss him. “I’m so sorry that you’re going to suffer so much every time you die.”

Despite his aching muscles and the subsiding pain he felt, Ianto gave Jack a little smile. “It’s worth it, Jack,” he said, his voice strong and concrete. “I won’t mind having to lose hours or days with you every now and again, because I know that I have the rest of eternity to be with you, to have you, to _love_ you, and, as long as I have you there when I die and come back, I think that I can handle it.”

Jack gave him a weak laugh.

“I promise that I will do whatever I can, go through hell and high water, to be there with you, to hold you when you die, and to be there, holding you when you come back.”

A little pain shot through Ianto’s torso and knocked the air out of his lungs. He gasped and a flash of concern crossed Jack’s face, but Ianto steadied and smiled at him, his breathing steadying considerably

“Ditto, Jack.”

That was a promise and they both knew it.

For a little while longer, they lay there, soaking in the gentle comfort of each other’s presence. It had been so long since they had such a quiet moment for each other.

Finally, Jack broke the silence.

“So, what are we going to do now, Ianto?”

Ianto thought about it, holding Jack’s hands in his. He rubbed his thumb across Jack’s rings. A thought crossed his mind.

“We find a chapel and get married again.”

“Really?” Jack’s voice was excited.

He nodded. “I mean, we both want it to happen and I did promise not that long ago.”

 Warm lips pressed against his momentarily. “But with no planning?” Jack raised an eyebrow at him and Ianto realized that they really had been around each other for a while because that eyebrow raise was clearly influenced by Ianto himself.

“Well, we’re going to have to wait until Annabelle is on holiday because she’d be so upset if she missed it.”

Jack’s smile broadened as he rolled Ianto onto his back, his enthusiasm very contagious. “But first, we’re not leaving this bed until I’m positive you can handle it. We’ve got plenty of time to be spontaneous later.”

Oh, there was so much temptation and sexual appeal in Jack’s voice and Ianto loved it.

He slipped a hand behind Jack’s neck. Their eyes met.

“Thank you, Jack, for everything.”

Ianto’s voice was quiet, a bit insecure.

“I love you, Jones, Ianto Jones.” Jack gave him a tender kiss, reminding Ianto that Jack was the one steadying constant in his life (as strange as that might sound).

“I love you too, Captain Jack Harkness.”

And it felt good to say those words back.


	45. Vows Made in the Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You might want to have a few tissues on hand, because this story got heavier than I expected it to, though it has its sweet and romantic moments. But sometimes, you just need to have moments like this to warm your heart and to remind you why we all love this fandom.  
> Annabelle is almost nineteen in this story.  
> As before, all problems are solely mine.

It ended up be pretty spontaneous.

They had picked Annabelle up after her last final exam before her winter holidays, both wearing evil grins on their faces. If that hadn’t been enough of a clue, Ianto didn’t know what was. She had taken one look at them and then promptly loaded her bags into the boot of the car, ignoring the looks that her peers were giving her fathers as they stood, hand in hand, by the vehicle.

As soon as they had all slid into the car, Jack had turned to face Annabelle from the driver’s seat and declared, “This holiday, we’re going to America!”

“Excuse me?” Annabelle had asked, with a raised eyebrow. “We’re doing what now?”

“We are going to Las Vegas,” Ianto had explained, “because your Dad and I want to get married – again – and we wanted to do it now.”

Annabelle had smiled at them and agreed to go along with the idea since, after all, this was the first time that they had sprung the idea of getting married (again) since their first marriage twenty years prior and the first that she would witness. Besides, they had promised that this would be a small affair, compromising of only close friends (namely, the TARDIS crew) and that they would be back home in time to celebrate Christmas with the Jones family (and the rest of the TARDIS crew, as was their holiday tradition). She had admitted that she loved it when they were both alive and happy.

The Doctor and Donna had picked up Geoff and S.J. from their respected universities (Geoff’s, far in the future, and S.J.’s, a decade and a half ahead of them). Rhys, Eleanor, Anwen, and Zachary were flying out for a few days. By this point, Eleanor and Zachary had been brought up to speed on the real backstory of the TARDIS, the Doctor, and Torchwood. Martha, Mickey, and Theo were meeting them in Vegas, as were Rex and Esther, the two most recent immortals having spent the last few months popping in and out of nearby habitable planets.

Most of the week-long vacation had been given over to the family seeing the sites in Vegas and going to shows. Since Annabelle wasn’t of the legal gambling age yet, they found plenty to occupy themselves, though Annabelle was more than happy to go off and go clubbing with her adopted cousins, once they all arrived, leaving Jack and Ianto with time on their hands.

It was the fifth night that they were in Vegas (a Wednesday), not sixty hours before they were due to return home, that Jack and Ianto announced that they were getting married.

Honestly, that was all part of the fun of the week. Neither Jack nor Ianto had formally announced which night that they were going to get married, just that it was going to happen during this week. It was fun to keep everyone on their toes, though they had given Rhys and his family, as well as Martha and Mickey, a bit of a heads-up, so that they could plan their work schedules accordingly.

The novelty of marrying in a 24-hour chapel in Vegas wasn’t lost on Ianto not in the slightest, though he had forbidden Jack from wearing a dress. (Jack had been insistent that one of them should wear a dress, this time around, but Ianto had nixed that one quickly.)

It was simple and quick, an exchange of words and the signing of a document. It had been Ianto’s idea that they send their wedding rings to the jewelers to be cleaned up. Those rings had taken quite a beating in twenty years. Jack had suggest that, since this was technically their second wedding, they should add a little something to the rings and Ianto had agreed, which is why two tiny (tiny!) diamond chips were added to the band of each ring.

Everyone present had cheered them on as they kissed (okay, made out) after they had been pronounced married. Ianto wasn’t even bothered by the wolf-whistles. Rhys, Mickey, and Rex had become something of an unholy trio and they would have made Owen proud of their liveliness.

After a rousing (and alcohol-filled) dinner for everyone (except Annabelle, who was the designated walker, and Esther, and Geoff , out of solidarity and as vice-designated walkers) at the best restaurant in town, Jack and Ianto retreated to the privacy of an upgraded suite for the rest of the evening and their own private celebration. The Doctor had bequeathed a freshly-minted psychic paper to Annabelle and had promised both Ianto and Jack separately that he would supervise any and all gambling done that evening, though it would Esther and Geoff who said that they would supervise, since they and Annabelle formed the other unholy trio that had formed during this vacation.

Still, as the door shut behind them, all thoughts of the outside world vanished behind them. Jack pulled Ianto in for a passionate kiss.

“I’m never letting you go,” Jack promised, when he pulled back, his eyes hooded with not-hidden desire.

“I know you aren’t, Jack,” Ianto said, his tone assuring.

The way Jack tightened his hold on Ianto and the seriousness in Jack’s voice caused Ianto to pause and really think about his love’s words. The meaning was heavy.

“Listen to me, Yan,” Jack expanded, pressing his forehead against Ianto’s, “I never want to be separated from you for longer than absolutely necessary. I remember what that’s like and I absolutely hate that feeling. I never want to feel like I’ve lost you and will see you – not again, not ever again.”

Ianto knew that Jack didn’t mean his recent encounter with death and the Doctor’s sad pronouncement that his return from death would take longer. He saw the old pain and the old fear in Jack’s eyes and that look cut deeply into his heart. Biting his lip, Ianto nodded. He understood – he always did, because he had been there before, had lived almost exactly what Jack had lived through, feeling the same things.

And, even if Jack had helped him come back from the painful memories of his first death, he didn’t want to feel that sorrow of being without Jack again because, well, it would be far too much for him to bear.

He wouldn’t survive it.

Neither could Jack.

“Jack, I promised you before and I swear to you, here and now, that I will never leave you like that. Never again.” He kissed Jack, gently and sweetly. “I love you way too much to inflict that kind of pain on you.” Ianto’s stomach churned nastily. “You don’t realize how much I hated having to deceive you for as long as the Doctor and I had to, that first time. Every time I checked in on you, I wanted to drop the whole ruse and go back to you, despite the Doctor’s warnings. I hated to see you suffer like that.”

Tears stung the corners of his eyes and slid down his cheeks. Jack’s thumbs brushed them away tenderly.

“Oh, Yan.”

“I know that it’s silly now, especially since I knew that we would have eternity to be together,” Ianto kept on going, verging on blubbering. He couldn’t stop himself and he didn’t want to, now that it was out in the open. “But I hurt, seeing you in pain.”

Jack’s fingers ran through his hair, tangling themselves up in his curls. Ianto gave a heavy sob.

“I don’t blame you, Yan.” Jack’s voice was calm, gentle, and strong. “You did what you had to do and that’s part of what makes you so amazing.” His words were so soothing. Jack gave him the most mind-blowingly amazing smile ever. “Ianto Jones, every time I think I have you figured out, you surprise me with something new that shows how wonderful and compassionate you are. I love you. Please never forget that. Without you, I really would die from a lack of caffeine, passionate sex, and beautiful Welsh vowels.”

Ianto smiled a watery smile, through his tears. He sniffled.

“God, I must look like a blubbering wreck right now,” he said, heavily. “And we’re supposed to be celebrating.”

The little chuckle he received from Jack was warm and encouraging.

“You’ve never looked as beautiful as you do right now, Ianto,” Jack reassured him. He cupped Ianto’s face, tilting it up ever so slightly so that they were looking each other directly in the eyes. “Never forget that.”

The honesty in Jack’s eyes made Ianto’s heart soar.

He kissed Jack, wrapping his arms around Jack, holding him close.

As they peeled off each other’s clothing, Ianto was amazed at, even after being reunited for more than twenty years, Jack still had tricks up his sleeve in the bedroom department. The little ways in which the older immortal brought Ianto over the edge of pleasure, time and time again that night (and well into the morning), was a testament to the depth and complexity of the man’s skill – and the skills that Ianto had acquired over the years as well.

When they lay, limbs intertwined and feeling quite like jelly, as the early morning sun shone in through the windows, Ianto pressed his lips against Jack’s ears.

“I love you, Jack.”

Jack shifted a tiny bit, twining their hands together. “I love you too, Ianto.”

And it was good.


	46. Don't Mess With My Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve had something in this vein mulling around in my brain for a little while now. I’ve been going a lot in a few directions, but I never addressed this issue before, in the context of this series. Given the current social climate, this is something that I felt needed to be dealt with – especially since we all want to see Jack and Ianto come out on top.
> 
> And, if your brain made a dirty comment about that, you get a cookie.
> 
> Regardless, here we go, the latest installment of the “Immortal Janto” series.

Jack got particularly romantic whenever it snowed. Ianto didn’t know why, but, whenever it snowed, the American immortal liked to go out and take a walk in the snow, before indulging in every single romantic cliché either one of them knew about. It seemed a little odd, but Ianto had long since learned that these quirks were endearing and he loved Jack all the more for them.

Which is why, when the snow fell heavily, one lazy weekend a few weeks before Christmas, Jack had been extremely insistent that they go for a walk through the park that Sunday morning.

Having been around Jack long enough, Ianto was well-trained in any and all antics that Jack might pull out of his sleeve at a moment’s notice, particularly in regards to snow. So, when he felt a very cold, very wet ball of snow get stuck down the back of his shirt, Ianto tensed and glared at Jack. Jack laughed and danced a few feet away from him, the last remnants of the snow dropping off of his hands, his eyes sparkling with laughter.

“You are so in for it, Jack,” Ianto said.

“Come and get me!” Jack challenged, in return.

Jack tore off into the park, laughing maniacally. Ianto grinned and gave a mighty chase, careful to scoop up a handful of snow as he got close to Jack, launching it at the Captain. He saw Jack tense, ever so slightly, as the snow hit him square between the shoulders, leaving a wet, white, snowy mark on the back of his greatcoat as Ianto plowed forward, grinning broadly.

Ianto didn’t have any time to kill his speed as Jack turned and caught him in his arms, their bodies colliding and falling into a snow embankment. They landed hard on the snow, their faces mere inches from one another, both breathing heavier than usual, laughing heavily.

Taking advantage of the fact that he had Jack pinned beneath him, Ianto kissed Jack gently, his hands holding the lapels of Jack’s greatcoat. He felt Jack’s arms slide around him, a hand at his waist and one cupping the back of his neck, pulling him down a little further, deepening the kiss.

An annoyed scoff drew both of them out of their otherwise very pleasant distraction.

Ianto felt a blush cross his face at the sight of an indignant couple, only a few feet away from them, clearly disturbed from their walk through the snowy park. He bit his lip and buried his face into Jack’s shoulder at the looks on both of their faces.

They were obviously perturbed about the two men indulging in somewhat childish antics – at least, that’s what Ianto thought until the man opened his mouth and said to his wife:

“Honestly, don’t they know any better than to display that in a public place? There could be _children_ around.”

A long time ago, Ianto had accepted the more conservative views of the world, especially in regards to two men in a relationship, as something he could not change and would have to deal with on a regular basis. Even if most of the world had moved on from the shock and scandal of gay marriage and openly gay relationships, he still saw a number of unflattering reactions and opinions from individuals. Most of the time, he was able to deal with it in a civilized manner, but there was something in this man’s tone that really set him on edge

And Jack as well, apparently, because the next thing that Ianto knew, Jack had wormed his way out from underneath him and was on his feet, staring down the equally tall man.

“I apologize if we ruined your walk by being _childish_ ,” Jack started, his jaw tense and his voice on edge, “but I see nothing wrong with enjoying time with the person you love.”

The man huffed and his wife tugged at his hand, trying to get him to move away from this conflict. Ianto had to give her some credit for trying to diffuse the very obvious pissing contest. He squared his shoulders as he rose and moved to flank Jack, dusting bits of snow off of his coat.

“What you do in the private of your own home, poncy boy, but don’t bring it out in public, where respectable people can see you.”

Ianto instinctively reached out an arm to block Jack from moving forward and he knew that it was the only thing that was keeping the American from starting a fist fight with the man. This was not the place for that.

“Sir, I understand that you have your own opinions of our relationship,” Ianto said, through gritted teeth. “However, I would also appreciate that you keep a level of decorum and not voice those opinions where, as you put it, _respectable_ people can hear you.” He could see the man boiling with anger as his words were thrown back at him. “I think I speak for more than myself when I say that I would like to break this cycle of hatred, so if you could refrain from things that could color the opinions of the future generations, that would be wonderful.”

He honestly hadn’t meant to get so pointed, but he knew that Jack was just one more verbal jab from doing something he might regret later on.

The woman grabbed her husband’s arm, trying to get him away from there. “Leave them be, dear. They’re causing no one any harm,” she pleaded.

“No one any _harm_?” the man cried, eyes wide. “They’re ruining the sanctity of marriage!”

Ianto heard Jack choke back a harsh laugh.

“The _sanctity_ of marriage?” Jack bit out. “Are you saying that I should have been able to marry the man that I love and build a life with him? Take a look at the media! How are the happy and stable relationships between two people of the same sex destroying the sanctity of marriage when celebrities are getting married and divorced on a whim? How can you think that _we’re_ destroying the sanctity of marriage, when a man and a woman who get married and divorced within days of each other doesn’t?” He was cooling down, just a bit, based on the way he was shifting his weight. “And, one day, millennia from now, it won’t matter that we’re both men and we’re in love.”

 The man’s face reddened desperately. Knowing that this conversation would disintegrate into angry, rash words if they stayed any longer and that the point was made, Ianto took Jack’s hand and led him away, faintly hearing the woman chastise her husband. He knew that the mood was dampened by one brief interaction. All he could hope for was that Jack’s rough emotions would be soothed.

Ianto silently made a note that Jack would get the best coffee ever – for an indeterminate amount of time. It wouldn’t be a lot to soothe Jack, but it was the best possible way for Ianto to express his appreciation of Jack’s defense of them.

Finally, after they had been walker for a few minutes, Jack huffed heavily.

“The twenty-first century is rough,” Jack quietly said.

“I know.” Ianto gave Jack a little smile. “I know I didn’t before, but I understand – now – why you were reluctant to do the ‘couple’ thing, back with Torchwood.”

Jack stopped and squeezed Ianto’s hand. Ianto looked at him. Emotion ran through Jack’s blue eyes. “Ianto Jones,” he said, in a steady tone, “I may not like labels, but the one label I actually do like is the one that I can apply to you. You’re mine and that’s all I really care about.” He pulled Ianto in and kissed him. “I would do anything to protect that.”

Appreciation flared up in Ianto’s stomach. Pressing his forehead against Jack’s, he held him close to him.

“And I would do the same for you.”


	47. Possessive is the Name of the Game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a shamelessly fun story! Enjoy!

At the end of Annabelle’s first year of university, Jack was surprised at the amount of stuff that she had managed to accumulate during that year – and how she managed to fit it all in her dorm room. Somehow, she must have defied the laws of physics and the universe! Surely, the TARDIS had been involved!

When he voiced that question as the two of them were hauling boxes out to the car, Annabelle shook her head and laughed. “Dad, it’s part of our training, fitting too much stuff in a relatively small space. No alien technology involved.”

He didn’t believe her, but he didn’t say anything as they rounded a corner, the car coming into sight.

Jack didn’t say anything because he was too distracted by what he was seeing.

If it wasn’t for the box in his arms, he would have probably done something that would have ultimately embarrassed himself. Well, the box and the fact that he liked both sex and coffee – particularly, sex with Ianto and coffee made by Ianto.

The amused snort from Annabelle didn’t really help all that much either.                           

He slowed his pace, under the guise of readjusting the box in his arms, letting Annabelle approach the car first. But, inwardly, he was processing what he was seeing.

At the end of Annabelle’s first year of university, Jack was surprised at the amount of stuff that she had managed to accumulate during that year – and how she managed to fit it all in her dorm room. Somehow, she must have defied the laws of physics and the universe! Surely, the TARDIS had been involved!

Three female university students, all  not much older than Annabelle, were at the boot of the car. All three of them were surrounding Ianto and all were flirting with him. Even from where Jack was standing, he could see that Ianto was smiling at the three of them, if indulgently. The Welshman ran a hand through his hair and smoothed his shirt down in such a way that Jack always liked. He smiled at Annabelle as she approached, pushed her way through the three young women, and put her box into the car boot.

A plan formed in his mind.

He approached the car and watched as the attention of all three girls diverted to him as he put the box in the car boot. Jack flashed them one of his biggest, brightest, and most flirtatious smiles, the kind that Ianto always said would get him into worlds of trouble. All three giggled a bit under his gaze. Jack winked at them as he stepped back, inching towards Ianto.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ianto raise an eyebrow ever so slightly and step to the side, putting a little more space between them. Jack pouted his lip a little bit in such a way that only Ianto would pick up on. There was an eye-roll in there somewhere.

Oh yeah, Ianto was toying with him as much as he was toying with these three girls.

But Jack had good reason. He wanted to stake his claim over Ianto!

For a few minutes, they conversed with the girls, pausing from moving Annabelle out of her dorm room. Annabelle, Jack realized, knew what was going on and was merely amused by their antics.

Finally, Jack managed to creep his way all the way up to Ianto’s side and wrapped an arm around his waist. Inwardly, he smiled as the three girls all saw the gesture. He leaned his head over and put his head onto Ianto’s shoulder. Ianto turned his head and pressed a little kiss onto his cheek. Jack tightened his hold and moved in for a bigger kiss, twisting Ianto in his arms and pressing him up against the back of the car. He didn’t really care who was watching and Jack knew that Ianto was distracted from their public display of affection by the mind-blowing snog that they were having.

Not too much later, all three girls had extracted themselves from the conversation, flushing fiercely.

Annabelle laughed and excused herself, going back to her dorm room for more boxes.

“Did you really have to do that, Jack?” Ianto asked, his tone dry.

Jack smiled. “Of course, I did, Ianto.” He squeezed Ianto’s waist, kissing his nose teasingly. “You know me. When it comes to you, I get to be very possessive. It’s my job as your husband to remind everyone else that you’re mine and no one else’s.”

The chuckle that met his ears was very enthusiastic.

“And what makes you so sure that I would play along with you?”

Jack stuck out his lip and pouted over-dramatically, batting his eyes at Ianto, in a sexy way. He knew that the 51st century pheromones that permeated his skin was very seductive to everyone living in a pre-51st century world. Ianto had recognized it and had responded to it with equal fervor – and had done so from their first meeting, years ago, trying to capture Myfanwy.

He smiled, not the flirtatious and charming smile that he had given to the girls, but the genuine, loving one that he reserved solely for Ianto. The Welshman shifted his weight, squirming a little bit in Jack’s arms, caught between Jack and the car.

“Because you love me and you like being possessive of me, just as much as I love being possessive of you?” Jack sweetly asked. Ianto tilted his head to the side and ran a hand through Jack’s hair, massaging his scalp lightly. He was thinking. Ianto had his thinking face on (and Jack recognized it because he was very attached to his beloved Welshman). Finally, Ianto leaned in and lightly kissed Jack on the lips, pressing his pelvis against Jack’s, distracting him enough (and causing him to drop his arms a few inches) to let Ianto wiggle out of his arms. Jack blinked briefly and turned as Ianto began to walk away. “Ianto!” he called, racing to catch up with the Welshman.

 By the time Jack drew alongside Ianto, they were almost back at Annabelle’s dormitory building. Jack reached out a hand to catch Ianto’s elbow. He raised an eyebrow in question as he turned Ianto to face him.

Ianto was smiling brightly.

Jack was very intrigued now.

“Just so you know, _sir_ ,” Ianto said slowly, emphasizing both the vowels and the word ‘sir,’ “I do enjoy when you get possessive.”

There was a tone in his voice that Jack easily recognized, a sexual undertone that only someone who knew (and loved) Ianto would be able to hear. It was a quiet and sweet promise for a wonderful evening of fun, adventure, and pleasure.

A smile slowly crossed Jack’s face as he understood what Ianto was saying.

He wrapped his arm around Ianto’s waist and, together, they walked back to Annabelle’s dorm room. It was good to know be able to translate Ianto-speech into normal-Jack-speech. They worked better that way. But Jack couldn’t act on his first instincts – at least, not at the moment.

Annabelle still needed their help to move out of her dorm room for the summer.

And Jack wanted to see how many more times he could be possessive of Ianto before the end of the day. It would be fun.

Plus, he wanted to see if Ianto would get possessive as well.


	48. Long Lost But Never Forgotten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To set the scene, this story takes place in 2036.

Ianto trailed behind Jack by a number of paces. He didn’t want to interfere with Jack’s personal thoughts and mourning, especially not today of all days. Jack wanted to be alone right now and he deserved that dignity, especially after everything that he had been through.

As the day had approached, he had been acutely aware of the fact that Jack would periodically get more withdrawn into his own thoughts for longer periods of time. It happened every year at this time of day, in the early afternoon, as children were out and about, enjoying the weather, being carefree and happy, and, every year, on this day, in particular, Jack always made a point of going out to visit the grave – Stephen’s grave.

When Ianto had first found out that Jack had sacrificed his own grandson in order to save the children of Earth, he had been caught in a myriad of emotions – confusion, understanding, rage, pain, regret, anger, hatred, betrayal, to name a few. He had been so upset that he couldn’t have been there to help Jack mourn but, seeing as he had been a cold corpse at the time, there was little that he could have done to prevent the death of precious little Stephen. The boy was so young and had had his whole life ahead of him. The Doctor had let Ianto see some of the boy’s childhood and he had fallen so in love with Stephen – Jack’s grandson (and his step-grandson of a fashion, Ianto realized all too belatedly).

That realization had stung him even more, shattered a heart that was already broke from the hurt of separation.

He had once – and only once – approached Alice and Stephen, when Stephen was only six. They had been in the park and he was careful to avoid giving Alice any information that would direct her back to Jack. He just wanted to meet her and Stephen. They were almost like family to him, though they weren’t blood-kin. It had both warmed his heart and saddened him to watch Stephen kicking around the football. Ianto knew how much both meant to Jack, even if Jack never out-right said it. 

It was a part of Ianto’s job to know. He did know everything.

Still, he stayed behind as Jack stood at Stephen’s grave. Jack’s back was to him, a vain attempt to hide the emotion that was no doubt crossing his face. Ianto saw the way that his shoulders were slumped and knew that Jack had succumbed to his tears. 

Everything in Ianto screamed out for him to approach Jack and to give him the comfort that Ianto’s instincts so longed for him to give, but Ianto had to reign those desires in.

This was something that he could not do. Jack would always mourn Stephen’s death, just as he mourned the death of everyone close to him. Ianto was acutely aware of that pain because it was fresh in his mind as well.

Wilfred had died not that long ago, succumbing to old age after living a very long and very full life. The elderly man had lived to see his beloved granddaughter become a bright and shining star and fall in love (and marry) with the one person who needed her and loved her more than anything else in the universe. He had seen the two wonderful children that Donna’s marriage had produced. He had become a surrogate grandfather to Ianto (and Jack, Martha, Mickey, and Rhys, by extension of Donna’s adopted), as well as an adopted great-grandfather to Annabelle and something similar to Theo and Anwen. Wilfred had handled all the weird that had come with the Doctor and the odd family that had formed around the TARDIS and had extended to the remnants of Torchwood Three.

Ianto missed the old man dearly.

And Wilfred’s death had accent the even fresher pain at the death of Ianto’s father. Stuart had passed not long after Donna’s grandfather. He had been the victim of a heart attack. Ianto had been devastated at his father’s death and Annabelle had been nearly inconsolable. The girl loved both her grandfather and adopted great-grandfather so much.

Footsteps crunched on fallen leaves, drawing Ianto out of his thoughts. He turned and tensed ever so slightly.

Alice, aged significantly in the twenty-seven years since her son’s death, walked towards the grave. She stopped short, recognizing the man standing over the headstone. Ianto’s heart clenched.

Slowly, he approached her. Alice turned to look at him, her eyes wide, and he didn’t know if she recognized him at all, not that he minded.

“Are you with him?” 

Ianto understood her anger and her refusal to speak her father’s name. He nodded, affirming her question.

“I am.”

Alice made an indignant noise, her pain and anger towards her father laced with the sorrow at the memory of her son’s death. Ianto didn’t fault her those emotions, but he also felt guilt.

“Figures he would be here today.”

“Alice, you can’t blame Jack for mourning.” Ianto began and he saw the surprise that crossed her face as she realized that he knew exactly who she was. “He had to make a terrible choice, all those years ago. I know you hate him for it, but don’t blame him.”

“Blame him? He killed my son! He killed his own grandson!”

Ianto nodded. “I know, but if you’re going to blame someone, don’t blame Jack. Blame me.”

“What?”

He looked at his hands briefly, before returning his eyes to meet her level gaze.   
“It was my fault that Jack had to use Stephen to save the planet and to save the children.” Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. “I’ve lived with this guilt for a very long time. You have a right to know that it isn’t your father you should place the blame solely on.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Do you know the reason why Jack used Stephen? Why he didn’t stop to consider the ramifications of what he was doing?” Alice was silent and Ianto continued, “The day before, he went to confront the 456s and they released the virus in the Thames House. He died there – and so did I.”

“But you’re standing right here.”

Ianto saw the confusion in her eyes. He ran a hand through his hair. Of all the places to have to explain this to Alice, the cemetery, not far from her son’s grave, was not the top of his list. But here they were and he couldn’t change it now. 

Alice deserved to know the truth.

“I died that day in the Thames House, died telling Jack that I loved him, despite all the shit that we had been through together – Torchwood, both in London and in Cardiff, the 456s, a Cyberwomen who had once been someone I loved dearly and would have married, cannibals, rogue Time Agents, his deranged brother from the future, everything. I died, not hearing the three words that I wanted to hear, and wouldn’t hear for a very long time because immortality is a heavy burden to bear, especially when it’s passed on to you and the person who passed it onto you can’t know that you’re not really dead, not for a very long time because the future of the planet depends on it.” Ianto drew a deep breath, keenly aware that he was rambling. “But that’s beside the point. Jack believed that I was dead, that I was not coming back, and that colored his decision. I was an idiot that day. I followed Jack into a place that, had I been thinking logically, I would not have gone and, as a result of that, I died and Jack was hurt beyond repair.”

Alice understood and her understanding quickly turned to anger – anger that was directed solely at Ianto.

“You were why he did what he did?” 

Oh yes, Alice came by her deep emotions honestly. Ianto saw the Jack in her.

He nodded. “Yes.”

Her eyes flicked back to the slumped form of Jack. She saw his grief, Ianto knew – saw and knew that depth of pain.

“Is he happy now? Now that you’re back?”

That question was out of left field, but Ianto knew that it came from a good place.

“For five years in Earth time, Jack believed that I was dead – even through the horrors of Miracle Day and the recovery years directly after. He believed that I was dead because, in the end, the planet depended on it. I wish that I could have changed it. I really do, but a good friend of ours prevented me from stopping Jack. The Doctor told me that the timelines were fixed and that Stephen couldn’t be saved.” Tears slipped out of his eyes and slid down his cheek. 

“Why couldn’t your Doctor save my son?”

“Because the Doctor knows, better than any of us, what it’s like to lose something that can never be replaced.” He had hoped that he would never have to tell Alice this, but he had to do it, for her better understanding. “He had to destroy his entire race, his entire planet, before their war completely and utterly decimated the universe as we know it. In all of time and space, he is the last of the pure-blooded Time Lord, though there are three who carry the Time Lord genetics within them and one who inherited enough immortality to make her an equivalent of a Time Lord.”

“I don’t understand.”

Ianto gave her a steady look, a knowing look, a look of a parent who has to watch their child suffer with no way of relieving that suffering.

“Our daughter inherited immortality and now Jack and I have to live with the fact that she will bear the same pain that we have of watching our loved ones grow old and die.”

“Your daughter?”

Ianto nodded.

“Immortality can be a blessing and it can be a burden.”

Alice was silent and she nodded, after moments of silence.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For telling me. I – I needed to hear that.”

Ianto nodded. “If it makes you feel any better, Jack founded a charity in Stephen’s name and honor to help the children who are affected by alien attacks on the planet. Stephen died, saving the children of the Earth, and the children will be helped by him for many more years to come.”

She nodded, overcome with emotions.

Ianto gave her a little nod of farewell and moved to flank Jack. Whether or not Alice approached Jack was entirely up to her now. The ball was in her court, to borrow that metaphor.

From behind him, she asked, “I didn’t get your name.”

He turned to look at her. 

“Who I am is of no importance, Alice.”

“You are, to him.” Well, she was right.

“My name is Ianto – Ianto Jones.”

Alice gave him a nod. “Keep an eye out for him, Ianto Jones. Promise me that you’ll protect him. Him, and that daughter of yours.”

“I will. I promise I will.”

“Good.”

They didn’t share any more words and Alice stayed away as Ianto moved alongside Jack. He wrapped an arm around his husband and let Jack fold himself into his embrace. Today was always a hard day for Jack, but, maybe, one day, Alice would approach Jack and clear the air between them.

When they left, Ianto knew that Alice was still watching them, though he doubted that Jack knew that she was there. She stayed around because she deserved to be at her son’s grave, especially today of all days. 

That was the laws of the universe.


	49. Saved by the Dashing Hero - Jack's Perspective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: There is absolutely no owning on my part.

Their feet slapped against the wet pavement as they raced through the streets of Newport, Wales. Jack kept his hands firmly on his Webley, eyes on the retreating back of the alien that they were chasing. 

The alien in question was a purple and humanoid, though it looked a lot like a hammerhead shark. Worse, he had a laser blaster and was happily shooting at people as he went.

The Doctor had been tracing the alien as he gleefully hopped backwards in time. Said alien had gotten his hands on a faulty Vortex Manipulator and had found his way to Earth, eventually landing in Wales, heading towards Cardiff. Using the residual energy of the Rift, he had started hopping back in time, causing panic and mayhem as he went. Jack only prayed that no one got hurt as a result.

It was by a small stroke of luck (and foresight by Donna and Ianto) that they had avoided running into Torchwood as they started backwards in time, through the first decade of the twenty-first century and the very end of the last decade of the twentieth century. A quick, curt contact via a letter from the Doctor had prevented past-Jack and Torchwood from getting involved. Jack did not want Alex getting his hand on any technology that the Doctor deemed too dangerous to be handled by Torchwood – even Torchwood Three.

Ianto was trailing him by a step as they rounded a corner. As they did, the alien came into their sights and Jack felt his stomach clench.

He would recognize Ianto anywhere and anywhen – even in 1999, at the age of sixteen. The young Welshman was wide-eyed at the sight of something that he didn’t see every day. From behind him, Jack heard his Ianto gasp in surprise.

Everything happened in slow motion.

Jack saw the purple alien raise his blaster, aimed directly at the younger Ianto. A scream caught in Jack’s throat as a bright streak of light shot from the weapon. Young Ianto gave a surprised yell as he turned enough to miss the full force of the weapon, though it caught him in the ribs, causing him to tumble to the ground, his bags of groceries spilling out around him, the brown paper bags ripping. A shout of pain shot through the air.

Instinctively, Jack was at his side, catching him as he fell, cradling the younger man, sinking to the ground carefully, so that the young Ianto was resting in his lap.

Under normal circumstances, he would have loved this. However, the blood seeping from the young Ianto’s side was not comforting. 

He looked up to his Ianto and saw the stormy look in his eyes – the look he knew too well. Wordlessly, he tossed his husband his Webley. Ianto caught it deftly. The older Ianto tore off after the alien, hell-bent on bringing him down. 

Meanwhile, Jack held the young Ianto.

Familiar blue eyes stared up at him. Jack never liked seeing Ianto in pain and this was horrible.

“Who – are you?” the young Welshman asked, wincing.

A thousand thoughts fluttered across Jack’s mind – friend, colleague, boss, lover, husband, father of his daughter, immortal, dashingly handsome and heroic. Okay, the last one was solely reserved for Ianto’s older self and would have made said older self roll his eyes at Jack.

Jack gave young Ianto a smile, not the full-blown charming and flirtatious one, but the comforting and caring one. “Someone who’s worried about you.” Ianto winced again and Jack looked at his side, carefully moving his hand. There was blood, but they were lucky that the wound wasn’t that deep or very serious. Still, it required medical attention, though the Doctor and the TARDIS could have him patched up in no time at all. He managed to press a button on his Vortex Manipulator, covertly from the eyes of the young Ianto, and send a pre-recorded SOS message back to the TARDIS. Hopefully, help would arrive in a matter of minutes “Until help gets here, keep pressure on that wound of yours.” Tears unexpectedly pricked at the edges of his eyes. “Can’t lose you yet.”

He was glad to see Ianto comply.

A part of Jack saw the painful irony of holding a wounded Ianto in his lap. Ten years from now, in this Ianto’s personal timeline, they would be in London and Jack would be holding Ianto again – only Ianto would die then and leave Jack alone for years, until he returned to his life in one quiet moment.

Sadness washed over Jack and he banished that thought from his mind.

“What was that thing?”

A shiver went up Jack’s spine. Ianto’s Welsh vowels were always more pronounced when he was in pain and the younger Ianto’s accent was so strong. Something inside of Jack twitched and he had to squash his urges in favor of talking to Ianto for two reasons – one, he didn’t want to scar the young man, and two, talking would keep him alert and awake.

Plus Jack couldn’t lie to Ianto, not after all these years and not even to a younger Ianto. 

“It was an alien from the future.”

“What?”

Jack smiled. “I won’t go into the semantics of the how and the why, but that’s an alien – a purple alien with a busted Vortex Manipulator and a child-like obsession with causing mayhem.”

“Oh.” There was a pause and Jack could see Ianto trying to fight the urge to roll his eyes. “I take it that your friend’s going after the alien then.” Jack nodded in affirmative. “Is he any good at catching aliens.”

Oh Ianto, he thought, smiling to himself. There were very few times that Jack knew that he could surprise Ianto and this was one of them – even if the Ianto in question was a much younger version of the one that Jack had with him at all times.

“I would say so,” Jack replied. “He’s been doing it for a while.”

“That’s good.” Young Ianto winced a bit – some combination of pain and something else, something that made Jack worry.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, concern clenching his voice.

Eyes flicked around and Ianto replied, in a weak voice, “Oh dear, Mam wanted those groceries for dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow. She’s not going to be happy about that.”

“I think she’ll forgive you.”

Ordinarily, Jack would have thought that Ianto’s concern was endearing and adorable – ordinarily. But Ianto was starting to get faint on Jack, starting to succumb to unconsciousness. He tightened his hold on the young man.

“Hey, hey, you listen to me, Jones, Ianto Jones,” Jack said, aware that he called Ianto by his name (and Ianto was aware of that fact too, since his eyes snapped open in surprise). “You have to stay awake right now. I know you’d rather pass out, but you have to stay awake for me.”

“And why is that?”

Jack leaned forward and stroked Ianto’s hair gently, admiring the curls. “Because I like those beautiful eyes of yours.”

“How do you know my name?” 

Ah, there was the out-of-the-blue comment that he could trust from Ianto.   
And, luckily for everyone involved, footsteps approached them. Jack looked up to see the older Ianto approaching, Jack’s Webley in hand and a less hell-driven expression on his face. He didn’t need to ask where the alien’s body was. More than likely, the Torchwood of the time had already been alerted.

Still, the look on Ianto’s face was a mix of surprise and anticipation – and something else that Jack couldn’t quite read.

Fortunately, Jack was given further reason not to answer the young Ianto’s question because the familiar klaxons of the TARDIS rang through the air, cutting off further conversations. Moments later, the Doctor and Donna burst from the TARDIS, looks of concern on their faces. Jack shifted his arms and scooped the younger Ianto up, cradling him gently, carrying him into the TARDIS, the older Ianto trailing behind him, careful not to touch his past self, as not to cause a temporal paradox or other negative temporal effect.

Jack was in full worry mode as the TARDIS reached out to heal young Ianto, golden energy surrounding the young Welshman, who he laid out, with great care, on the couch.

When the light subsided, Jack breathed a sigh of relief. Ianto looked well and whole, though he saw the long scar on his side, crossing over his ribs.

Tentatively, Jack walked over and knelt down by the couch. He felt his husband behind him, looking over his shoulder. Years of being together had given him a second sense of where his beloved Welshman was at all times. 

He saw the way the young Ianto looked over his shoulder at his older self, realization setting in as twin sets of eyes met one another.

“You’re – you’re,” young Ianto sputtered. 

“I’m you,” Ianto confirmed, nodding, “or the you who is from a far distant future and if you don’t believe me, then this should convince you.” 

With that, he unbuttoned his waistcoat and lifted his shirt high enough to reveal the long, a delicate scar along his ribs, one that was the twin of the fresh one on the ribs of the young Ianto. Jack looked between the two, appreciating the fact that, until now, he had only known of the scar from all the times that he had explored Ianto’s body. It was a pity that Ianto never explained where he got said scar – it made sense now, though. 

“I don’t understand how you’re here then, if you’re from the future.”

Jack smiled and patted young Ianto on the hand, barely suppressing the urge to weave their fingers together. “You will, one day, Yan.” The disapproving snort from the young Ianto was so worth the pet name. “It was hairy there for a minute, but you’ll be fine.”

“Where am I?” the young Ianto asked. 

Older Ianto was chuckling. “No questions, Ianto, or else Rhi and Gavin will find out that you’re stashing the porn in the third floorboard from the closet in your room.”

Porn? Jack was intrigued.

Young Ianto gulped. “How did you know about that?”

“I know everything.”

Younger Ianto yawned and Jack saw his eyes drooping shut. Looking back to the Doctor, he saw the nod of approval from the Time Lord. Comfort filled Jack. This was a good sleep then, one that the TARDIS was inducing, if only to complete her healing and to put something of a memory block on the younger version of Ianto.

They only had a matter of moments now before young Ianto was asleep.

Cupping the young man’s cheek, Jack tilted Ianto’s face to him and gently pressed a kiss against his forehead. Blue eyes were wide when he then placed a butterfly-soft kiss on Ianto’s lips. A blush crept across the younger Ianto’s cheeks as his eyes fluttered shut and he fell asleep.

“Sleep well, love,” Jack whispered, leaning back from the couch. He felt his Ianto’s arm wrap around his waist.

“Thank you,” Ianto whispered.

He turned and looked at Ianto.

“What happened?”

For a moment, Ianto considered his younger self before he explained. “When I was sixteen years old, I ended up in the hospital as being attacked on the way home from the store. I never really remembered what happened, except that I felt safe and warm and loved. I was out for thirty-six hour.” 

There was more that Ianto wasn’t telling him, but Jack knew better than to push that issue at the moment.

As they moved away from the couch, he reached for Ianto and pulled up his shirt to reveal the scar again. He brushed his fingers against it and watched as Ianto shivered at the touch.

“Have I mentioned that I love that scar?”


	50. Saved by the Dashing Hero - Young Ianto's Perspective

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: No owning on my part

It was a chilly, rainy evening and all Ianto wanted to do was to get home with the groceries. His Mam had asked him to go out and pick up what she needed for dinner and he, being the kind son that he was, had been happy to oblige her. But, now that he was actually out here, all he really wanted to do was get home, where it was warm and dry.

Faintly, he heard the tell-tale sounds of footsteps coming from around the corner.

A noise of surprise escaped his lips as a purple – thing? – came running around the corner, a wild look in its eyes. Two figures rounded the corner behind it. Briefly, Ianto glanced at them, wondering why two men, one in an RAF World War II greatcoat and the other in a three piece suit, were chasing a purple thing through the streets of Newport. His attention was taken away from them as the purple thing raised something that he thought belonged in a sci-fi movie and pointed it at him. A bright laser shot from it and Ianto instinctively turned, dropping his groceries in the process.

Sharp pain shot through his side and he cried out, dropping to the ground. 

The man in the greatcoat caught him and lowered him to the ground, gently. Through his pain, Ianto saw a look of concern on his face, his hand going to Ianto’s wounded side, in an attempt to stymie the blood flow from his injury. Ianto winced in pain. The man looked up to his companion and something passed between them. 

Seconds later, the man had pulled out a gun – a Webley, Ianto noticed – and threw it to his companion, who turned and dashed after the thing that they had been chasing before. A cold feeling filled Ianto’s stomach, something different from the pain he felt.

That man who just left seemed so familiar to him.

But he was kept from thinking about it by a fresh batch of sharp pain. He felt the arms around him tighten some and Ianto looked at the man who was holding him.

He was handsome – as in, movie-star handsome with dark hair, stunning blue eyes, a sharp jaw that was to die for. Ianto thought that he was very attractive, which made his stomach twist in an unfamiliar and excited way. He had never been so attracted to anyone before in his life – man or woman.

“Who – are you?” he asked, wincing a bit at the pain in his side.

The man smiled at him. It was a charming smile and something in Ianto told him that the man did not smile this smile a lot, that it was reserved for only a certain number of people. It made his heart do a little flip-flip.

“Someone who cares about you,” the man replied gently. That was nice, Ianto mused, though his attention was diverted by his injury. The man shifted again, very briefly, and Ianto felt him pressed something on his leather wristband and then pressed his hand back onto Ianto’s wound. “Until help gets here, keep pressure on that wound of yours.” Tears filled his eyes and that had Ianto worried. “Can’t lose you yet.”

Ianto nodded and pressed his hand onto of the man’s hand.

The man’s greatcoat fluttered around them. His lap was very warm and very comfortable.

“What was that thing?” he asked, keenly aware of the fact that his native accent was thicker than it normally was, but the man seemed to appreciate said accent. Regardless, Ianto was sometimes embarrassed that his accent got thicker at the most unexpected times. 

“It was an alien from the future.”

“What?” 

So it was an alien, not a thing.

The man smiled some at his question. “I won’t go into the semantics of the how and the why, but that’s an alien – a purple alien with a busted Vortex Manipulator and a child-like obsession with causing mayhem.”

“Oh.” It took everything in him to keep from eye-rolling at that comment. In any other situation, such a concept would have been very amusing to Ianto. “I take it that your friend’s going after the alien, then.” The man nodded in affirmative. Some emotion in the man’s eyes told Ianto that the man was truly confident in his friend – or something more than a friend, if Ianto’s instincts told him otherwise. However, Ianto had to ask him one honest question, “Is he any good at catching aliens?”

A little smile crossed his companion’s face.

“I would say so,” the man told Ianto, in a confident and surprisingly loving tone. “He’s been doing it for years.”

To Ianto, that was very reassuring.

“That’s good,” he told the man, before wincing – not from pain, but he cast a look around and a thought crossed his mind. His stomach dropped in true concern as he saw the groceries that had been unceremoniously scattered across the ground, where he had dropped them in his true fright of the alien – the alien who had injured him. 

“What’s wrong?” 

There was concern – and something that sounded akin to fear – resting in the man’s voice and it sounded very genuine. For a moment, his voice and that careful emotion made Ianto forget that he was injured and in pain.

“Oh dear, Mam wanted those groceries for dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow. She’s not going to be happy about that.”

The man gave him a weak smile, though a bit indulgently. “I think she’ll forgive you.”

Something in the man’s tone soothed Ianto, something that made Ianto think that his Mam wouldn’t worry about the fact that he had lost all of the groceries, whens she had expressly told him to go the store and bring it back home as quickly as he could. 

The dark edges of unconsciousness tugged at his eyes. Ianto felt himself succumbing to it, but he was shaken back into full awareness by the man. He saw fear and concern in his eyes.

“Hey, hey, you listen to me, Jones, Ianto Jones,” the man sharply said, his tone indicative of his fear. Ianto’s eyes opened wide in his surprise. The man knew his name. How? How could he possibly know that? “You have to stay awake right now. I know you’d rather pass out, but you have to stay awake for me.”

“And why is that?”

He leaned forward and stroked Ianto’s hair gently and with great tenderness, his fingers through the curls that Ianto had worked so hard to tame and to hide. 

“Because I like those beautiful eyes of yours.”

“How do you know my name?”

The man struggled with how to respond to his question, but he was saved from answering as footsteps approached.

Ianto saw the man’s companion approach, Webley in hand, a look on his face that was both grim and surprised and something else. He got a brief look at the man. Ianto was taken aback by the gray streaks in his hair and the impeccably tailored suit that he wore. Who wore a suit – especially an impeccably tailored, three piece suit – when chasing an alien? And was that a waistcoat that he was wearing? 

But before Ianto could look closer, strange klaxons filled the air.

A blue police box faded into existence not too far away from, catching Ianto by surprise. The two men looked at it, both not very surprised about its sudden appearance. The door opened and two people – a man with unruly brown hair and a red-haired woman – burst from inside. Ianto saw something beyond it that should not have existed. The police box looked like it was bigger on the inside.  
The man scooped him up in his arms, cradling him gently. Ianto didn’t fight his tight embrace. The look on his face made him realize that he could not fight the man’s intention. Instead, he curled some into the man’s arms, pressing his face against the man’s shoulder.

Into the strange police box, Ianto was carried.

Honestly, he wasn’t surprised that it was bigger on the inside. This was a very strange evening and, to be perfectly honest, Ianto didn’t think that he should believe that it wasn’t just a strange dream that he was having. 

Warmth reached out to touch Ianto as he was laid down on a couch that seemed very out of place in the very odd room, though it was a very odd room in and of itself, with a tall coral pillar reaching up from a center control panel to a ceiling that was high above them. But, to Ianto, it felt very comforting, like he belonged here. This weird police box wanted him here, he believed, and it was welcoming him.

Golden energy swarmed around him and, when it subsided, Ianto touched his side. His wound was healed! He felt a long scar through the remains of his shirt.  
The man knelt down beside him, his knees on the metal grating of the floor, concern still in his eyes. His companion walked up behind him and Ianto got his first good look at him. 

His eyes widened in total surprise as he recognized the man. It was him!

How could this possibly be happening?

“You’re – you’re” he sputtered, not quite able to form a coherent thought or sentence. 

“I’m you,” the older version of himself confirmed, giving him a little nod, “or the you who is from a far distant future and if you don’t believe me, then this should convince you.” 

With that, the older Ianto unbuttoned his waistcoat and lifted his shirt high enough to reveal the long, a delicate scar along his ribs, one that was the twin of the brand new one that now crossed Ianto’s ribs. 

“I don’t understand how you’re here then, if you’re from the future.”

The blue-eyed man smiled and put his hand on Ianto’s. “You will, one day, Yan.” Ianto hated that pet name and the man must have known that. Oh, Ianto   
understood some more now. This man, whoever he was, was important to his future self, though Ianto got the feeling that it was more than just friendship between the two. “It was hairy there for a minute, but you’ll be fine.”

“Where am I?” he asked. 

Ianto saw his older self laugh. 

“No questions, Ianto, or else Rhi and Gavin will find out that you’re stashing the porn in the third floorboard from the closet in your room.”

Oh, he was good.

Ianto gulped. “How did you know about that?”

“I know everything.”

He yawned and his eyes drooped down. Ianto was so tired, but he guessed (hopefully, rightfully so) that this was a healthy sleep, one that he would not be woken up from. 

Even as he drifted off to sleep, he felt a hand reach out and cupped his cheek. The man tilted Ianto’s face to him. Leaning down, he kissed Ianto on the forehead. His eyes went wide in surprise at the gentle gesture. The man then placed a butterfly-soft kiss on Ianto’s lips. It was a truly sweet sign that caused a bright blush to creep across his cheeks, even as his eyes fluttered shut.

“Sleep well, love,” the handsome stranger whispered to Ianto, the last words that he heard before he fell into sleep.

Ianto didn’t dream any and, when he woke, he was lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to a multitude of machines. Confusion filled his mind, as he tried to recall really what had happened to him. Was it all a dream? The purple alien? The handsome man with the blue eyes and the greatcoat? His future self?  
It was all very fuzzy. He didn’t know what had been real from what had been a product of his mere imagination.

The doctors would later tell him that he had been attacked – by whom, no one was able to ascertain – on his way from the store. He had been knocked unconscious during this attack. No one could tell him how he got that scar on his side and Ianto had enough sense to keep from saying that it was an alien from the future.

He was kept in the hospital for two days for observation and, when he was released, Ianto was sure to move his porn collection from its current hiding spot, in the event that, one day, Gavin and Rhi found it. Rebecca wouldn’t hold it over his head, but the other two would have been more reprimanding if they found out about it. Something in his gut told him that he shouldn’t keep it in the same place.

Years later, when a pterodactyl got him a job at Torchwood Three, Ianto found that falling for one Captain Jack Harkness was very easy. After all, hadn’t that just been a dream about a dashing, blue-eyed man who had held him when he had been injured?


	51. With the Love of a Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Absolutely no owning on my part. I am merely playing in this sandbox.

Christmas was a time for family and Ianto loved it, always had and always would. He loved being with his family – both his biological family and his adopted one. Having Jack and Annabelle in his life made Christmas even better. 

But, as he reflected, as the years went by, and his biological family got older, it was getting harder to be around them.

Only recently, when they lost his Tad and Wilf, did Ianto realize just how fleeting the time that he had with his loved ones were. Yes, he knew, in theory, that, one day, they would pass on and he would be left with only the memories of them. He understood – really understood, now – the amount of pain that Jack bore, watching people grow old and die while still staying the same. 

During the early years after his return, it had been relatively easy. No one questioned why he looked the same as he always did. 

But time passed.

Now, when Annabelle was twenty, they had to be careful. 

His Mam didn’t begrudge his immortality. She was glad that he was alive, safe, and had found someone to share his life with – and that included his immortality. Mam loved Jack and Annabelle. Even now, in her late eighties, she did not seemed faze that, save for those old radiation-induced streaks in his hair, Ianto still looked the same as he did when he had first died all as a result of the 456s.

Of his siblings, only Rhiannon and her family maintained a stable and normal relationship with Ianto, Jack, and Annabelle.

Rebecca and Gavin still spoke with them. They loved him, of course. He was their brother, though he saw the ways that their eyes flashed with a flurry of emotions at his unchanging nature. Oh, they were happy that he was alive and all that, but there was reservation there, especially in regards to how their own families interacted with the three immortals. Ianto would regularly meet with them, though, to their children, he was a distant relative and friend, a supporter to them, not their parents’ biological brother. 

But, regardless, Ianto had made sure to set up a trust to ensure that each of their families, for generations to come, would not want for anything. It was the least he could do for Rebecca, Rhiannon, and Gavin. 

He loved both Rebecca and Gavin. He had Rebecca, being the youngest two, had been close growing up. Gavin, likewise, was his brother and they had that bond of being the pair of brothers in the family. But those bonds only extended so far when Ianto was the only one of the four Jones siblings who would live for forever. 

It saddened him that Rebecca and Gavin had not brought their respected spouses and children very far into the loop, regarding immortality, time travel, and all that jazz. Annabelle did interact with her cousins – and they considered themselves as cousins, though things were a little strained, as the young generation began to realize that Annabelle and her two fathers were unchanging. Ianto was happy to see his family grow and prosper, regardless. He was proud of his nieces and nephews, even if they didn’t call Jack and him ‘Uncle.’

However, of his whole, biological family (Mam withstanding), only Rhiannon, Johnny, Mica, and David were completely comfortable around Jack, Ianto, and Annabelle. 

Ianto knew that it had to do with the fact that, of all his nieces and nephews, David and Mica were the only ones who had an established (if strained) relationship with him before his immortality kicked in. Both children remembered the 456s clearly and his death. They knew of the TARDIS and about his immortality – and the immortality of Jack and Annabelle. Only those two, even in their thirties now, still called him ‘Uncle Ianto’ every time they saw him. Their own young children knew him and Jack as their uncles – and Annabelle as a cousin.

Johnny and Rhi were of a similar mindset to their children. Of his three siblings (and their spouses), he saw his older sister and brother-in-law the most – and he brought Jack and Annabelle with him on a regular basis. Rhi absolutely adored her niece, doting and caring. Johnny did too, though he didn’t always say it in so many words. Now in their fifties, both Rhi and Johnny maintained a policy of regular (almost weekly) communications and meetings with the three.

For that, Ianto was grateful.

When you had forever, the finite amount of time you had with your mortal family was more than precious.

And so, given the relationship that he had with his whole family, Ianto was glad that he, his husband, and their daughter could spend their Christmas Day with Rhiannon and her family.

Per Jones family tradition, there was a larger Christmas Eve get-together, though Ianto and Jack hadn’t attended said party in a number of years. Once the fact that their immortality was causing a divide, they stepped back slowly, visiting each family privately at different times during the holiday season.

It hurt that he had a separation with his family, but Ianto knew that it was for the best.

Annabelle was in the kitchen, helping Mica and David’s wife, Lisbeth, with the final dinner preparations. Mica and Lisbeth were laughing at some tale of Annabelle’s.

Jack was with David, Johnny, and Mica’s husband, Roland, watching over the young children in the living room, as the five young ones (ranging from the ages of a matter of months to six years old) played with their Christmas toys. It was hard to think that Rhiannon was a grandmother already.

Ianto turned and saw Rhiannon in the dining, finishing setting the table for dinner. She was humming carols to herself. He smiled.

She always did that when she was happy.

After all this time, she was happy.

Tears unexpectedly sprung to his eyes. Rhiannon was so vivacious and caring, even after all this time. In her fifties, she still had that same warmth that she had when she was younger. And that’s what Ianto loved about his older sister.

She accepted him of everything that he was – immortality and Jack included. 

He strode into the dining room, walking around the table behind his sister. Rhiannon squeaked a little bit as she turned and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight embrace. Ianto buried his head into her shoulder, breathing in the scent that was distinctly his sister.

“Ianto!” she exclaimed, surprise in her voice as she wrapped her arms around him, retuning his hug. “What’s this about?”

“I love you, Rhi,” he whispered to her, trying to tell her everything that he possibly could in those four small words and the embrace. 

She squeezed him before drawing back to look up at him.

“I love you too, Ianto.”

Silence passed between the two siblings. Rhi understood what he was trying to tell her. He could see it in her eyes and the little, knowing smile that passed across her lips. 

Ianto didn’t know what was going to do without his beloved older sister.

Later, as they sat back in the living room, after dinner, digesting the meal, Ianto was cuddled next to Jack, his lover’s arms holding him close to him. He saw the genuinely happily smiles on both Johnny’s and Rhiannon’s faces.

Jack snorted a bit. He saw the looks on their faces as well.

“What are you two looking at?” Jack asked.

“The way the pair of you still manage to act like you’re newlyweds, even after more than twenty years,” Johnny said, laughing a bit under his breath, giving his wife’s brother and brother-in-law an affectionate look. “It’s like you’re the poster boys for stable marriage.”

That made both Ianto and Jack laugh.

“Wouldn’t be the first time I was a poster boy,” Jack replied.

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” Rhiannon commented, rolling her eyes drolly. Ianto smiled at that. Rhi was so his sister. “The two of you are good together, though.”

“We are, yeah?” Ianto said, looking up to Jack, grinning.

Jack pressed a kiss to his lips, a promise for a lovely evening between the two of them, when they were alone. Drawing back, Jack was smiling, his blue eyes twinkling in the light. “As if there was any doubt about that?”

The whole family chuckled.

“The pair of you better stay together for the rest of time,” Rhiannon told them, her voice suddenly very serious. “Because, Jack, if you break my brother’s heart at some point down the road, I will come and find you and make you pay, mark my words.”

Maybe this threat was a little too late, given that they had already gotten married twice and they had a daughter together, but Ianto did appreciate his sister’s overprotectiveness. She loved Jack, despite her initial misgivings of the man. Ianto knew that she merely letting Jack know that.

Jack didn’t have the words to respond to her but Ianto saw the little nod that Jack gave to her, understanding.

Despite all the problems that immortality caused, Ianto still loved his family and loved Christmas. It was a magical time of the year and he wouldn’t trade it for anything – even if the Doctor had something of a tendency to attract trouble around this time of year.


	52. Kiss Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything except for my ideas.

**Kiss Me Under The Mistletoe**

It had been a long time since their first Christmas together.

Ianto counted the few Christmas that they had celebrated together at Torchwood, even if they hadn’t been officially together for all of those Christmases. It was still the sentiment of the fact that, for part of the holiday, they had been together and, with other people and privately, celebrated the season. And he remembered the first Christmas that he had spent with Torchwood Three.

He had only just gotten Lisa smuggled in (which had taken a great level of stealth and planning) and was still bitter that she was stuck in a basement room, half-converted into a Cyberman. To top it all off, Ianto was still reeling from the fall of Torchwood One and Canary Wharf. Some might call it PTSD and encourage him to seek professional help, but Ianto had only been to see a therapist that one time and hadn’t gone back because. Honestly, with his work with Torchwood Three and Lisa, he didn’t have the time to go to a therapist, not without sacrificing anything more.

Back then, Jack seemed to have recognized that he still wasn’t over Canary Wharf and, in an act of kindness, he had requested that Ianto spend the days leading up to Christmas and Christmas Eve solely in the Archives, where he was most comfortable, not to be bothered by the rest of the team (even Jack), for trivial things – including coffee. Jack knew that he was a researcher and archivist at his heart and that was where he was happiest.

As the years went by and Jack and Ianto found themselves attracted to one another, Ianto learned that Jack was child-like when it came to getting into the Christmas spirit. That included creating a veritable winter wonderland in the Hub the Christmas after Tosh and Owen had died. Jack had thrown his full energy into making sure that Gwen and Ianto were still in good spirits after the loss of two members of their team. Coincidentally, that had been the last Christmas that Ianto would have with Jack before the 456s came to Earth and it was a memory that had kept Ianto going when Jack thought that he was dead.

And now Jack still had a great deal of energy and enthusiasm about Christmas.

Which is why Ianto was struggling to keep from laughing when Jack came walking, with a totally straight face, into the TARDIS control room, as they were heading to pick Annabelle up from university for her winter break (after a side trip to a planet to pick up a few, last-minute Christmas presents), wearing, quite possibly, the most ridiculous piece of headwear that Ianto had ever seen – and that included everything in the Wardrobe of the TARDIS.

How Jack had managed to find a head band with a felt piece of mistletoe attached to the top via a spring so that it was dangling over Jack’s head was beyond Ianto. It was Jack, after all, and, as such, the man would go to insane and extraordinary lengths in order to get everyone around him into the Christmas spirit.

“Merry Christmas, Ianto,” Jack said, his tone light and happy, though there was no indicator in his voice that gave away any knowledge about his headwear.

“And the same to you too, Jack.”

If Jack was going to play this game, Ianto would be more than happy to indulge. After all, no one could out-mask of cool than Ianto.

Ianto gave Jack a little smile before turning around and going back to work at the control of the TARDIS. The ancient machine hummed with humor around him, also clearly amused by Jack’s antics.

That, apparently, didn’t sit well for Jack because the next thing that Ianto knew was hands, Jack’s hands, slipping what felt conspicuously like a headband onto the top of his head. Ianto sighed over-dramatically, as if to appear that Jack was putting him out.

He turned to face Jack, fully aware of the lecherous grin that was on Jack’s lips, and raised an eyebrow.

“You are a child sometimes, Jack,” Ianto told him dryly, as Jack put his hands on Ianto’s hips.

“But you love me.”

“Oh, I do.”

“Good.”

And, with that, Jack went in for a kiss. Ianto smiled into the kiss and held Jack tight for a few minutes.

When they finally pulled away from each other (thanks to the TARDIS for flashing her lights in warning of the imminent arrival of the Doctor, Donna, and the twins – all of whom would heckle the two for pretty much making out in the control room), Jack was beaming brightly. Ianto laughed and reached up to pull the headband of his head, aware that his hair was probably messed up at the moment.

Their eyes met and they shared a humorous agreement.

As the family of Time Lords came trooping into the TARDIS, bundles and packages in arm, Ianto looked to Donna.

The red-haired woman raised an eyebrow at him. “What’s going on, Ianto?” she asked, her tone clearly showing that she knew that there was something that he was planning and that she saw the headband in his hand.

He tossed the headband gently across the room to her. She caught the item with her free hand.

“Have fun,” was all Ianto said as Jack pulled him out of the room, both cackling with laughter as they went. The looks on the faces of the Doctor and Donna was so worth it, even if the blanches from the twins meant that the two were scarred for life by mental images of their parents.

But wasn’t that the point of mistletoe?

**Kiss Me At Midnight**

Celebrating New Years was always an interesting (and sometimes problematic) adventure, when one takes into account that being friends with a Time Lord and being something of a time traveler yourself.

Over the years, Ianto has celebrated the ringing in of a new year in many of the major cities of the world (Times Square included, though he found that it was too hyped up for his taste). He’s also celebrated in on other planets as well and those particular times were also interesting, particularly when he wasn’t as familiar with the particular customs of the planet that they were on at the moment.

However, one thing was for sure, Jack could be a stickler for tradition, when traditions involved kissing.

Ergo, Jack was very happy that it was the custom to kiss a loved one at midnight at the start of a new year, regardless of where they were in the galaxy. Sure that might have caused a few problems, but Ianto found that he enjoyed it as well.

So, when they decided to celebrate New Year’s Eve with Rhiannon and Johnny, letting Annabelle go out to have fun with a group of her mates from university, Ianto was pleased to find that Jack could also reign himself in, under special circumstances – namely, the dual threat (from both Ianto and Rhiannon) that, if he was going to take the kiss at midnight from a simple, yet loving kiss to a full-blown make-out session (or beyond), he would either have to excuse both Ianto and himself (with fair warning) or he would be denied coffee by both siblings for an undetermined amount of time.

Jack complied.

Dinner was a simple night out on the town, a treat from Jack and Ianto to Rhiannon and Johnny. It wasn’t extraordinarily fancy, since Ianto knew, all too well, that Rhi wasn’t always comfortable when they showered her with lavish presents. That was part of the reason why he loved his big sister so much. She was quite down to Earth that way.

After dinner, they managed to progress to a quiet pub, on the outskirts of the city, where they chatted and bantered, with each other and with other patrons of the pub, all of whom seemed to have similar thoughts about the evening as they did, namely being able to celebrate starting the New Year without all the pomp and circumstance.

The countdown to midnight started up at the customary ten-second mark and Ianto found himself counting down when Jack wrapped his arm around his waist and cheerfully started counting. Rhi and Johnny joined them somewhere around ‘seven.’

At midnight, Ianto turned his head to Jack and they kissed, simple as that.

It wasn’t the grandiose gestures of Jack, merely a sweet and heart-felt kiss, one for luck and for love, as a point of good hope and promise to start a new year.

Ianto smiled at Jack, drawing back.

“Happy New Year, Jack,” he said, his tone quiet, though he was well-aware of the fact that his vowels were a bit more pronounced. That always happened whenever he was around his family for an extended period of time.

“Happy New Year, Ianto.”

Jack went in for a second quick kiss on the lips.

Ianto laughed and squeezed Jack’s arm. The other immortal laughed when he pulled away, mirth in his eyes.

Oh yes, Ianto was going to get it, when they were back in the warmth of their own bed that night. He knew that look of Jack’s very well.

Turning back to his sister, Ianto was pleased to see Rhi happily in her husband’s arms. Both looked so happy with one another. Yeah, he might not have been too happy with Johnny at the out-set, but his brother-in-law had proved himself on more than one occasion that he was a reliable man, who honestly cared about his family, Rhiannon, and the kids. The man had opened up (with some prompting) to Jack, once they had been formally introduced. It had been a bit interesting though, since Jack had felt the need to flirt profusely with Johnny, which made Ianto’s brother-in-law extremely uncomfortable, though it had amused both Rhi and Ianto to no end.

Still, Ianto cherished these moments with his family because, all too soon, he would be seeing his beloved siblings pass away and he would be condemned to watching the generations pass on with little to no recollection of the family that he loved.

But that was beside the point at the moment.

Smiling, Ianto ordered another round of drinks for them. It was New Year’s, after all and, by damn, they were going to enjoy it!

Jack smiled at him and dove in for another kiss.

“For luck,” he whispered, when he pulled back.

Ianto returned his smile, knowing full well what Jack meant.

“And for a good year.”

And they both silently agreed on that.


	53. Messy Reactions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ianto makes a very true decision about some of Jack's habits, especially when they go on adventures with the Doctor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nope. I own own nothing here.

Whenever they hit a crazy adventure with the Doctor (which was actually more of a regular occurrence than most people realized), Ianto knew that things were going to get, well, messy.

It was some old fact that followed the Doctor around. Every time that he got involved with an adventure or something, things tended to go from bad to worse before they got better. More than that, explosions and messes were a very common occurrence whenever they were around.

And, to some extent, that irritated Ianto.

Ever since he first woke up from his first death, Ianto realized that the Doctor and his messes were not necessarily fun, even for someone who worked as the general support for Torchwood Three!

Ergo, when Jack and the Doctor came walking in after chasing down (yet another) alien bandit and, for whatever horrifying reason, Jack was covered in a mixture of strange looking and multi-colored gooey substance, Ianto had to hold his tongue from having a yelling fit at the state of Jack’s clothing. Instead, he did what just about any indignant person in this situation would logically do.

He turned on his heel and stormed (yes, stormed) out of the room.

As he went, Ianto saw the disappointed look on Jack face. It was so lucky that Ianto knew Jack so well and knew exactly what buttons to push whenever he wanted to make a point. Jack wasn’t getting off very lightly, not today at least.

Normally, Ianto wouldn’t have been too upset if Jack had gotten himself into a scrap and got messy because of it. Messy was an inevitable way of life for them. It came with the territory.

But, just once, Ianto would like to avoid messes on certain days of the calendar year.

Whenever he and Jack were having disagreements or straight-up fights, Ianto preferred to have them far from the prying eye, which is why he found his way to their bedroom. Well, that and the fact that the shower and clean clothes were in their bedroom meant that Jack would have to come there anyway.

Sure enough, not five minutes after he walked way and had settled himself down into one of the comfortable chairs that they had acquired over the years, Jack came walking into the bedroom, still covered in the goo-like substance and wearing a genuinely sad look on his face. That was when Ianto saw the very large gash that split across the back of Jack’s greatcoat. He didn’t see any blood but, by damn, that cut would be murder to repair.

Ianto leaned back in his chair, adopting a neutral expression.

Oh yes, he was decidedly fed up with the very repetitive theme of messes and damaged or destroyed clothing. The Doctor may be the resident expert on getting messy but Jack took the cake for causing property and clothing damage.

As much as Ianto loved Jack’s greatcoat, he liked a whole lot more when he _wasn’t_ constantly getting it cleaned or fixed.

He watched silently as Jack carefully peeled off the greatcoat, mindful of the grime and the gaping slash across the back, and hung it up (actually hung it up) on a hanger. Once that was done, Jack stripped, clearly not doing the strip-tease that he might have otherwise been prone to do. Nope, Jack picked up on the fact that this was not the appropriate moment for such an action and did his best to change clothes, depositing his dirty clothing (boots included) into the trash bin that the TARDIS so helpfully provided.

Freshly dressed in dark jeans and a blue button-down and bare-footed (okay, so the TARDIS might be siding with Ianto at the moment), Jack plodded over to Ianto and knelt down in front of him, reaching out cautiously to take his hand.

“I’m sorry,” Jack told him, simply. Ianto raised an eyebrow. Jack continued, “I’m sorry that I made a mess of myself and the greatcoat.”

“Again,” Ianto added.

Jack nodded. “Again,” he agreed. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I won’t promise that I will stop being messy or getting into messy situations, but I’ll do my best to keep you from having to shoulder all of the cleanup, Yan – well, you and the TARDIS.”

The puppy-dog eyes almost won Ianto over – almost.

“It’s a part of who both you and the Doctor are,” he relented, “getting messy as a result of trying to fix things.” It took a lot for Ianto to suppress a sigh. For a moment, he felt like was back in the Hub, way back in the day when he was merely the Teaboy and general support – which had always translated into himself cleaning up after everyone. “It’s just a serious pain in the ass to clean up the physical messes that you leave in your wake.”

Jack’s jaw tensed ever so slightly at the tone in his voice.

“You’re are not our maid-servant, Ianto, and you’ve never been that. I hope you know that you’re more valuable to all of us – to me, especially.”

He nodded. “I do know that.”

A little smile split across Jack's lips.

“How about I clean up any and all messes that I make to myself and the TARDIS when jumping into the fray?” Jack asked, his voice hopeful.

Now that, Ianto couldn’t quite believe.

“Fine, if you really think that you _and_ the greatcoat can handle that?”

“Hey!” Jack replied, indignantly. “I got through the torture of Miracle Day just fine and I kept the coat in one piece then!” He winced, after a second, and Ianto raised an eyebrow in question. “Okay, maybe not. Gwen did blow a hole through the coat at the end of it.”

“She what?”

Jack hadn’t told him that and Ianto hadn’t asked – though, in retrospect, he probably should have.

A blush crossed Jack’s cheeks.

“Um, well, you know how Gwen shot me to get my blood out, right?”

Oh, that was it. Gwen was so going to get it, if he ever saw her again!

Ianto sighed heavily.

“And this is why we can’t have nice things.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you thought of this. I love and appreciate your feedback. It makes me grow and get better as a writer.


	54. Fly Home to Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Certain alien-induced problems causes the TARDIS crew to make a time-traveling stop back to Cardiff. The whole Torchwood team, however, tends to arrive en mass whenever the strange happens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No ownage here.
> 
> I realized that, thus far, I haven’t written anything about Jack and Ianto and their relationship with Myfanwy, the beloved pterodactyl of Torchwood Three, ergo, this story came to mind. Then I realized how much fun it would be to involve EVERYONE from Torchwood Three (and a few others as well) in the story, hence something a bit longer (and slightly different) than what I’ve written in the past. 
> 
> Like my other forays into Torchwood canon, this story deals with the series 2 Torchwood . . . since I think of this as the “real” beginnings of the relationship between Ianto and Jack (despite the fact that there was clearly a relationship between them in series 1). Also, within “Immortal Janto” canon (for Tosh and Owen), this takes place after “Toshiko Sato’s Rainy Days Adventures” and “How To Scar Dr. Own Harper For Life.”
> 
> Alright, enough of my prattling on, let’s get on with the epic “Immortal Janto” story of Doctor Who/Torchwood epic-ness (as I’ve taken to calling it, since, hello, so many people appear in this particular story).

The Rift alarm went off about twenty minutes after Myfanwy cawed and swooped down from her nest, dropping a half-eaten fish into the Autopsy Bay, an action that had earned her a long string of swears from Owen. However, her antics were forgotten as the team jumped into action.

“What do we got?” Jack called, his voice level, as he went behind Tosh’s station, looking over her shoulder.

Around them, Owen was just finishing getting his field kit together from the Autopsy Bay and Ianto’s fingers were flying over the keyboard at his preferred station, running support to Tosh’s scan. Gwen, on the other hand, rolled her chair over next to Jack, looking a bit wide-eyed, as if searching to find something that neither Tosh nor Ianto could find. The air was fairly tense, as it had been ever since Jack had returned and they had to figure out the new dynamics among the team.

“There was a spike in the Rift three-quarters of a mile southwest of us,” Tosh relayed, her tone even though quick. “I can’t get a pinpoint on anything that came through. The CCTV isn’t showing anything unusual.”

“Weird,” Gwen commented, looking hopefully up at Jack. “It was just a false alarm then?”

"Not likely,” Jack replied, returning her look quickly. “It never is.”

“And you’d be right,” Ianto announced. All eyes in the Hub went to him. “The CCTV won’t pick anything up because someone or something is interfering with it and causing it to loop imagery, probably to hide something.”

“How is that possible?”

Despite everything that had happened since her arrival in Torchwood, Gwen’s inexperience was very obvious now. She was the only on in the Hub who seemed to be confused by this fact.

“Normally, someone wouldn’t notice,” Ianto explained, “but I’m picking up on a slight wind discrepancy in one localized area.”

 Jack left Tosh’s station and went to look over Ianto’s shoulder.

"Shit, you're right."

“I know.”

Tosh looked at Owen. The doctor raised an eyebrow, acknowledging and agreeing with the observation that the genius had made.

“Alright, Ianto, Owen, you’re with me,” Jack said. “Tosh, Gwen, run support here. Ianto, transfer the information to Tosh’s console.”

“Already done.”

Ianto hit a final button and Tosh’s computer pinged with the arrival of the CCTV that he had been specifically watching. Mere seconds later, the Japanese woman saw exactly what Ianto had seen and silently cursed herself for not picking up on it beforehand, though she gave a nod and a small smile to her co-worker and the closest thing she had to a best friend in this place.

“Thanks, Ianto.”

“No problem, Tosh.”

As Jack, Ianto, and Owen made for the cog door, Tosh set into her work and, out of the corner of her eye, watched as Gwen went to intercept the trio.

“Shouldn’t I go with you, Jack?” the woman asked, her tone reminiscent of an eager, yet wounded puppy. “You’ll need me in the field.”

“Not on this one, Gwen,” Jack replied. He stopped and turned to face him as Owen and Ianto continued through the door, heading towards the SUV. It was obvious that neither one was very concerned about the fact that Jack was squaring off with Gwen. “You need to stay here and run interference with Tosh, in case we need to keep the police from getting involved.”

Those words apparently struck a chord with Gwen because she gaped at him.

“Isn’t that more of a job for Ianto?”

Jack paused and considered her for a moment before he answered her, “Not this time. I need Ianto in the field with me.”

With that Jack turned on his heel and walked out of the Hub.

Tosh was able to hide her grin by focusing on her computer screen, busily running analysis on the CCTV footage that Ianto had sent her. While Gwen’s point might have been valid, once upon a time, she saw that Ianto would be valuable to Jack in the field. During Jack’s absence, Ianto had proved himself time and time again that he could function both in the role of support from the Hub as well as in the field, as a very effective field agent. His shot was a far cry better than Gwen’s shot and her own shot were, up on par with Owen (a product of the fact that the two had managed to find common ground at the gun range when Jack was away).

And it wasn’t as if Tosh and Owen hadn’t run support from the Hub before. Prior to Gwen’s arrival and, later, when they were a man (Jack) down, it was necessary for them to step into and fill new roles. She was actually quite fine with staying behind in the Hub on occasion, especially if Ianto was there as well. He was very fun to run support with, though Tosh knew that she would have to suck it up and deal with a fuming Gwen now.

Gwen stomped back to the console that Ianto had abandoned mere moments before and slumped down into the chair, a pout on her lips. Tosh rolled her eyes at her co-worker’s antics, amused.

And then she turned her attention fully to her work as Myfanwy swooped low overhead.

**\--Torchwood--**

The SUV slid to a skidding stop at the site of the Rift spike and the air discrepancy. Ianto and Owen were out of the car in seconds flat, a combination of the need to be free from the Jack-caused death-trap and the desire to do their work. Jack followed them a moment later, the ghost of a shit-eater grin on his face.

Ianto scanned the area and, in seconds flat, with an affirmation from Tosh, walked towards a spot about fifty yards from the SUV, his hand on the butt of the gun on his hip. His two co-workers followed him, both drawing guns.

"Here,” he said, his tone even.

Nothing was very obvious, but, given that the three of them worked for Torchwood, their observational skills were much higher than the average human being’s.

Jack used his free hand to use his Vortex Manipulator to scan the site. Yep, Ianto was right, as always. However, while he was able to pick up on something, Jack found that he was having trouble trying to pinpoint the exact nature of the disguised alien. He couldn’t tell if it was dangerous or not, which was never a good thing for Torchwood agents.

“It’s there alright, but I’m not picking up on anything dangerous, though it’s better to be safe than sorry,” he cautioned.

Even as those words left his mouth, the air in front of Ianto swirled and something – an alien – appeared. It was appeared very ethereal, wispy, as if made of air itself, though Jack saw the dangerous looking claws hooking. The three Torchwood operatives stepped back, guns trained on the alien.

“Who are you?” Ianto asked, authority that Jack had never heard in his voice coming out. “What are you doing here?”

The alien laughed an airy, though very frightful cackle. “So this is Earth? I expected more from this pathetic planet.” The look in its eyes was scary. “Dominating this planet will be too easy.”

There was not one particular signal as Jack, Owen, and Ianto opened fire on the alien in sync with each other. Seconds later, it was obvious that their bullets weren’t doing anything to it, as they passed right through its body.

Jack holstered his Webley quickly as he saw the alien tilt its head to the side. This wasn’t going to be good. He had never run across this type of alien before, but, if it was bent on taking over the planet, then he inherently didn’t like it. Jack was rather fond of the Earth and the people who inhabited it.

Wispy energy formed into a ball in one of the alien’s claws. As it made to throw the energy ball at the three of them, Jack reacted instinctively and pushed both Ianto and Owen out of the way.

He could bounce back from such a devastating injury (99.99% of the time). They couldn’t.

Pain shot through him as a crippling injury ripped through his stomach and energy flushed through his body. Ianto’s arms were around him, holding him, as he called out in pain. Owen caught his other side, supporting part of his weight.

Even as Ianto and Owen lowered him to the ground, Jack heard the familiar caw of Myfanwy overhead, a blessing in disguise. Fighting through his pain, he watched as the pterodactyl swoop down and back-wing before she hit the ground, hovering between them and the alien, flapping gusts of air towards the ethereal alien, much to its obvious chagrin. Jack had to smile in gratitude to Myfanwy. She was quite protective of those she cared about, especially when Ianto himself seemed to be in trouble.

He thought he heard another familiar sound, a sharp klaxon-like noise that was associated with only one thing in the universe, but Jack knew that it could be attributed to the pain that he was feeling.

 Owen made quick work of dressing his injury, though Jack knew that it would be fully healed (and scar-free) in a matter of hours. Energy-induced injuries tended to take longer to heal, even with his highly-accelerated healing rate – and they hurt like hell in the process.

The alien cried out in distress.

A trio of footsteps sounded.

Jack looked around Ianto and Owen to see three people emerge on the other side of the alien. A blonde woman and a dark-skinned man were carrying heavy-duty weaponry while a younger woman with dark brown hair set some technology down on the ground, fiddling with it quickly.

Mere seconds later, the young woman spoke softly to her two companions and they fired their weapons at the alien. In almost no time, they had gotten the alien hooked into some kind of trap. A button was pushed and it closed tightly, seeping the energy out of the alien and causing it to shrink to half its height.

Jack watched Myfanwy flap her wings again and gain a little bit of altitude, before swooping in a circle around the three newcomers, cawing gently. The young woman’s eyes lit up – they were a very distinct deep blue – and she smiled a warm, yet slightly devious smile that seemed so familiar to Jack. Myfanwy then swept past them and flew high into the sky, disappearing from sight in a matter of moments.

“Hell, they weren’t kidding about the pterodactyl,” the man said, rubbing his forehead, an American accent spilling out of his mouth. “I really shouldn’t question those stories sometimes.”

The blonde woman rolled her eyes. “Seriously, Rex, after everything we’ve been through, you’re going to get into a snit about a pterodactyl?” Like her male companion, she appeared to be an American as well.

The man – Rex – scoffed. “Honestly, Esther, you have to admit you didn’t believe the story about the pterodactyl. That’s stretching it, even for _him_.”

"Oi,” the young woman replied, drawing their attention to them, “can we save the marital dispute until _after_ we finish up with what the Doctor sent us to do?”

Wait? What?

Jack’s attention was drawn the moment she mentioned the Doctor.

“Alright, you win, Annabelle,” Rex said, clearly caving. “You really come by your bossiness honestly.”

Annabelle grinned. “Damn straight, I do.”

The three shared a laugh as the blonde woman – Esther – shifted her gun and picked up the trap. Only then did they approach Jack, Ianto, and Owen.

“Everyone alright here?” Esther asked, assessing them.

“For the most part,” Jack replied, cautiously, his hand at his side. Silently, he prayed that the pain would subside quickly.

All three of the new arrivals caught his gesture and they shared a look.

“You’re going to want to get that dressed better than out here in the field,” Rex said. “Energy balls are bitches to recover from, especially with a shot that you took.”

“Who are you people?” Owen asked, blunt as ever.

"Friends,” Esther told him. “We’re here to help. Torchwood is as Torchwood does.”

“Are you with One?” Ianto quietly asked.

Jack knew that there was pain and dark memories running through his favorite Welshman’s mind right now and it took everything in him to keep from cradling him and kissing away that pain.

Annabelle shook her head. “They’re Torchwood America, so to speak, though they do have time travel on their credentials as well.”

“And you?”

She grinned. “Time travel. A bit of world-saving, here and there. Almost finished my degree at university, so I haven’t affiliated with anyone yet.” Annabelle laughed to herself. “Well, besides the Doctor, of course.”

“You know the Doctor?”

“Yep. I’ve known him all my life,” Annabelle replied, her eyes twinkling. “He’s still on his tenth regeneration. Got my own key last year as a birthday present.”

“Impressive.”

She rolled her eyes very drolly. “It only took me twenty-one years of pestering before he caved. I’m Annabelle, by the way. My friends are Rex Matheson and Esther Drummond. Wait?” She turned to look at Esther. “Is do you still go by Drummond, Esther? Or did you decide to go by Matheson now?”

Esther laughed. “Matheson, for the time being. I’m trying to convince Rex to take my last name.”

“Fat chance.” Rex folded his arms across his chest. “Not all of us are like Jeeves and the Red Baron.”

Annabelle raised her eyebrow. “Remember who you’re talking to, Rex.”

He sighed heavily, though a bit dramatically. “Please, we all know you keep them in line better than even the Doctor.”

She laughed. “True.” A phone went off and Annabelle swore quietly, digging into her pocket. Seconds later, she pulled out the offending object and flipped it open. “Hello? Oh, hey Dad. Yeah, we got the alien . . . . No, no one died . . . . Well, that did happen, true . . . . Yeah, sure, that sounds good . . . . We’ll meet you there in thirty . . . . Love you too. Bye.”

As she closed the phone, Esther calmly asked, “They meeting us there, I suppose.”

“Yep, easier than picking us up here and then having to come back for the SUV.” Annabelle chuckled under her breath. “Besides, it’ll be more fun to see everyone’s response to the arrival all at once.”

Owen tensed beside Jack. “Not that I’m not grateful to you lot for helping us with the alien, but what the hell are you talking about?”

The Londoner met Annabelle’s eyes and the young woman gave the man an unreadable look.

“You don’t have to have a sex change to have a baby,” she said simply and with a completely straight face.

Owen’s reaction was one of surprise. “Holy shit!” he swore. At the confused looks from both Jack and Ianto, the doctor back-pedaled, gaping for words. Annabelle only appeared amused by his reaction. Finally, the man said, “You’ll see when we get back to the Hub.”

Ianto groaned, clearly having done a head-count. “Speaking of which, how are we going to get everyone back to the Hub.”

Esther looked at Rex and the dark-skinned man gave an over-dramatic, yet well-meaning sigh. “I’ll ride in the back with the alien.”

“In that case,” Annabelle said, “shotgun!”

Ianto and Owen both groaned at that because Jack had his “I know I’m injured, but I want to drive anyway” face on. The archivist and the doctor traded looks and, in unison, said, “You’re calling the Hub.”

**\--Torchwood--**

The cog door rolled opened and Tosh looked up from her station. She bit her lip as three people came walking in behind Owen, Ianto, and Jack, carrying an alien in a trap (which appeared to be quite ingenious to her – even from judging at this distance) between them. Based on their voices and the CCTV footage that she had pulled up while they were en route, she could guess who was who among the group.

Rex, the sole man of the new threesome, whistled lowly, clearly impressed. “How come they get a massive underground facility and the best we ever got was a safe house and a few commandeered SUVs?”

“We were fugitives, remember that,” Esther replied, dryly.

It sounded like an old yet regular, bantering disagreement to Tosh.

“Oh, would you stop complaining, you old farts,” Annabelle said. “That was ages ago, before I was even born.”

“Sure, rub it in, small fry,” Rex answered, a little bit of sarcasm rolling off of his voice. Only the smile on his face showed that he meant his comment as a joke.

Tosh rose from her station and went around to greet the new arrivals, as Jack was forcibly pushed down into a chair by both Ianto and Owen, the doctor then proceeding to take a closer look at the injury to Jack’s side. Ianto folded his arms across his chest, not budging from Owen’s side, save to get the doctor the few tools that he needed from his kit, despite Jack’s repeated assertions that he was fine and that he only needed coffee (made by Ianto, of course) to get better. (Those two were scary when they agreed about something.) Gwen was at her side quickly, her hand extended eagerly.

“Hello,” the other woman said, “I’m Gwen–”

“We know who you are, Cooper,” Rex said, cutting her off. “Or are you going by Williams yet?” He sighed heavily. “Time travel messes up my sense of people’s personal timelines.”

His comment clearly made Gwen a little uncomfortable.

“Not yet,” she bit back, her tone indicative that she though that he would treat her better than he did. Tosh didn’t know who Gwen thought that she was kidding. Not every person who crossed her path would instantly take a liking to her. “And I wasn’t planning on changing my name when I did get married.”

Rex ignored Gwen’s comment as he gave Tosh a flattering smile. “However, I haven’t met you yet.” He extended a hand to her and Tosh took it carefully. She was quite surprised when he raised her hand to her lips and pressed a kiss onto her knuckles (which, Tosh noted, earned him a sharp look from Owen). Tosh blushed. “And who might you be?”

“Toshiko Sato,” she answered.

“Rex Matheson, at your service.” He gave her a charming smile – and earned a slap on the shoulder from Esther. “And this is my lovely wife, Esther Drummond-Matheson.”

Tosh greeted the woman with a handshake and a warm, if apologetic smile.

“Ignore his antics,” Esther said, conspiratorially. “I always do. It’s better for his mental health that way.”

“Oh don’t worry,” Tosh agreed, “Jack and Owen are the same way.”

The blonde woman chuckled. “I don’t doubt it.”

Tosh looked over Esther’s shoulder at the younger woman who was hanging back and looking around the Hub, as if burning the memory of the place into her mind. She seemed so familiar to Tosh, though she didn’t know why.

Annabelle – since that was the only logical choice for her identity, given what Tosh had ascertained from the comm-links and from the CCTV scans – was average height, had curly, dark brown hair that was tied back into a pony tail, and had dark blue eyes that Tosh knew she had seen before. A dark red duster wrapped around her a way that made her seem both friendly and approachable and intimating and capable.

However, before anyone could say anything further, unfamiliar, klaxon-like sounds filled the air. Tosh saw Annabelle, Rex, and Esther relax noticeably – and Jack tense.

A blue police box appeared in the Hub and Tosh knew that she had seen it before – only once, but that once was enough to lock it forever in her memory. She had to fight – really fight – to suppress a smile at that (admittedly vague) memory.

Seconds after the police box had materialized, the door opened on the side and a face that Tosh placed (despite her somewhat skewed recollection) appeared.

“Oh, so _this_ is what the Hub is supposed to look like,” the Doctor said, enthusiasm dripping off of every word. The Time Lord looked over his shoulder and shouted back into his ship, “Donna, come have a look!”

“Oh come off it, Doctor,” a woman’s voice said, a hint of sarcasm in her tone, “you know what Jack always says about the Hub.”

A distinctly male laugh echoed from inside as well, one that Tosh had heard a few times and had committed to her memory and to her voice. “Favorite place on the planet, besides anywhere that there’s coffee,” a familiar Welsh voice added.

“And you, Yan. You know very well that I can’t live without you and your coffee,” a second, equally familiar voice replied.

Shivers ran down Tosh’s spine at the banter.

“Oh please, Jack, you’re just mad that you’re still in time-out for blowing up the computers last month.”

“It wasn’t my fault this time, Ianto!” Tosh knew that they had to be the future versions of her co-workers (which made the present versions gape widely at the loud, yet obviously loving exchange). “There was an alien virus and it was going to happen anyway. I just helped it along.”

“And the half a million in property damage?”

There was a disbelieving snort. “Doesn’t mean I have to go into time-out from both your coffee and sex.”

 Annabelle stifled a laugh and called into the Doctor’s ship, “Lay off it for five minutes, you two. Don’t you remember where we are?”

"Oh yeah.” Jack – a future Jack – poked his head out of the door and grinned widely. Tosh was pretty damn sure that she saw the glint of tears in his eyes, though she could have been mistaken. The future version of her boss let out a happy sigh. “I forgot how amazing this place was.” He looked over his shoulder and called, “Come and see, Yan. Everyone’s here!”

“I’m coming,” the familiar Welsh tones of one Ianto Jones replied as the Welshman – future Welshman, Tosh amended – brushed past Jack breezily, striding into the main room of the Hub.

He was a little older than the Ianto who Tosh saw every day, a bit older even, it appeared, than she recalled (however hazily) from that one meeting with errant time travelers those few weeks ago. There were still gray streaks in his hair and his eyes held the age, though he looked relatively young in the face. But Ianto was smiling that rare, truly happy smile that Tosh missed seeing from her friend and co-worker.

“What in the world is going on here?” Gwen gasped out. One look at her face was indicative of the fact that she was clearly not able to wrap her mind around time travel and these future versions of Jack and Ianto.

“Still bossy and confused as ever,” future Jack said, grinning that cocky, easy smile of his as he walked beside Ianto.

"As if that would change,” Ianto replied. Tosh saw the little way the two men looked at each other, subtly leaning into one another in such a way that only someone who knew them would pick up on.

“And they wouldn’t.” Tosh looked at the red-haired woman who emerged from the Doctor’s ship – Donna, she thought, though she couldn’t be certain. “These are set events in your past and you know they can’t be changed.”

If Tosh wasn’t mistaken, there was a cryptic message there.

“Regardless,” the present Jack – Tosh’s Jack – said, his voice tense, “why did you all come here?”

“Because we were tracking the same alien you were and you didn’t have the appropriate facilities to store it,” Annabelle said, stating fact without preamble and with a tone that indicated that she shouldn’t be questioned.

There was a little inhalation of breath from Tosh’s Ianto. “And what makes you think that we couldn’t? We do have a rather extensive Archives here and would have figured something out.”

“Oh, I’m sure you would have,” Annabelle replied, humor lacing her voice now, “but the fact that there is no record of this particular alien in any records from Torchwood Three means that you didn’t keep it here, and you know the importance of preservation of information.” She sniffed and looked at the trap with the struggling alien. “Besides, as a fellow member of Torchwood, you wouldn’t deny Esther and Rex the chance to catch an alien, would you, Tad?”

Her casual (and familial) addressing caused the present Ianto to tense up visibly.

Future Ianto (this was getting quite confusing for Tosh) rolled his eyes. “Annabelle,” he said, a warning in his voice.

 Annabelle winced, realizing her mistake. “Sorry.”

"It was bound to come out eventually,” Esther said, sympathetically, smiling at the young woman, before looking to the future Jack directly. “You have to give her some slack, after all.”

“Well, we were going to have to modify their memories anyway,” the future Jack agreed, giving the future Ianto a wan smile. “After all, can’t have the me of the past running around being an idiot because of Annabelle and you, Ianto.”

“I’ll never hear the end of this,” the future Ianto said.

"And I hope that I do,” the present Ianto added.

The two versions of Ianto shared a look and both grinned mirror grins. Oh, this was so weird. Ianto was agreeing with his future self.

“Oh please, for the love of my eyeballs, no orgy make-outs,” Owen pleaded.

Both Jacks grinned the lecherous grin that Tosh had come to associate with only her boss. “Now that you mention it, Owen,” the current Jack said, “that sounds like a great idea!”

Owen, both Iantos, Annabelle, and Rex all blanched at that.

“Gross!”

The Doctor leaned against the door to his time machine and coughed, drawing attention to him. “Well, now that we got what we came for, we should be going. The TARDIS is making sure that you don’t really recall this little meeting, not that you’ll completely forget that an alien was caught – just how.”

Both Jacks gave unhappy looks at that comment.

"Wait,” Gwen asked, his eyes wide, “how’d you manage to find the alien when we had trouble pinpointing it.”

"Easy,” Esther replied, shrugging, looking at Gwen, “the TARDIS and this.” She pushed up her sleeve and revealed a Vortex Manipulator similar to Jack’s. “It’s a modified Manipulator and a hell of a lot more effective than Jack’s is. Ianto made sure of that before he gave it to me.”

The present Jack snorted. “Typical Ianto.”

“Oi!” The future Ianto was very indignant. “I resent that. Esther has to look after Rex, who’s almost as bad as you are.”

“That’s not what you said this morning,” the future Jack replied, slipping an arm around the future Ianto’s waist, placing a kiss on the other man’s cheek.

So they were still going strong. That was good and it reassured Tosh.

Out of the corner of her eye, the Japanese genius saw the way that Gwen tensed at the clear ease and comfort at which the future versions of Jack and Ianto interacted with each other. Tosh knew that they were good together, that they balanced one another out well, but it was clear that Gwen didn’t necessarily realize that yet.

“And yet your manners in the bedroom have only improved ever so slightly.” The dry tone in his voice was as familiar and comforting as ever. “We should be going then,” the future Ianto said, changing the subject. “Annabelle has to get back to school.”

“Right, you’ve got a few exams coming up,” future Jack agreed.

Annabelle groaned. “Dad, Tad, I told you, I’ve already prepared for them!”

“That doesn’t mean you can’t review extra!” Jack told her, paternal sternness in his voice. “We expect you to do very well.”

Tosh couldn’t suppress her smile. The similarities were quite obvious.

“At least I got to see Myfanwy.”

A smile crossed the future Ianto’s face. Briefly, the man looked up.

Overhead, the pterodactyl cawed and swooped down low. Future Ianto reached up a hand and touched her wing as she landed briefly. The contact lasted a matter of seconds, but Tosh saw the blissful look on Ianto’s face. She didn’t know how long it had been since he had seen the pterodactyl, but Tosh knew that Ianto had a special bond with the dinosaur. He was, after all, Myfanwy’s favorite and was the only person she let feed her on a regular basis without trying to take a nip at that person.

“Right, let’s be off then,” the Doctor interrupted.

Not thirty minutes later, Tosh found herself wondering what happened about the Rift spike and why Jack was healing from a pretty blatant energy wound. No one knew for certain, except that the alien had been trapped and was taken care of.

Though Tosh was damn sure that Jack and Ianto would have a beautiful daughter one day and, in a cautious conversation that they had many weeks later, Owen agreed with her whole-heartedly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? Good? Bad? Did you like? You should know what to do by now! Review please. I absolutely love them.
> 
> I know, I did a bit of a tease, by incorporating Tosh and Owen into this story, but I had to – really. I miss them as characters and I wish that they hadn’t been killed off when they were (just like I wish that Ianto hadn’t been killed off either). Still, I hope you like my portrayal of the pair of them in this story.


	55. Pomp and Circumstance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabelle's graduation from university make both Ianto and Jack very proud fathers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own a thing. Sorry! I wish that I did!
> 
> This has been formulating in my head for a while now. Since I brought Annabelle into the series, I have made a particular point to, on a regular basis, show her milestones in her life, especially as seen through the lenses of Jack and Ianto. Since I didn’t do a graduation from high school, her graduation from university will be portrayed here.

It was a sea of black robed people milling around – and it was one of the times that, despite the fact that they both knew that it was a graduation ceremony, both Jack and Ianto were on high alert. Ianto figured that it was by virtue of the fact that they were so used to having the strange and the weird pop up at the oddest moments that they were reflexively on high alert. As of now, neither one had been able to weed that particular reflex out of their habits yet.

That being said, Ianto couldn’t be more proud of his daughter than he was of her in this moment.

Today was her graduation from university and he was so happy at what she had managed to accomplish. Hell, he had had to work his way through university and, upon his graduation, had gone straight to working for Torchwood One. When he thought back to his graduation from university, Ianto remembered that it was a somber, cut-and-dry affair, with very few words of praise spoken from his family.

They had been going through some family issues at the time and his graduation was a stilted affair. It wouldn’t be until much later that Rhiannon related how excited and proud his parents had actually been of him for receiving his diploma from university.

Annabelle, on the other hand, had decided that, since she had been in school for most of her (relatively short) life, she was going to take a gap “year” of sorts and travel – both the world and, if the world bored her, the universe. Jack had been wary about her traveling the universe by herself, but Annabelle had said that, if she decided to do that, then she would call up Geoff and S.J. to see if they wanted to hitch a ride along.

But that was in the future and this was the present – and Ianto did not want to miss this, not for anything, in either time or space. And neither would Jack.

The ceremony itself was of the standard variety – speeches given about the success and futures of the graduating students, praises and accolades rained down on them, the whole nine yards. Ianto knew that it had been done thousands upon thousands of time previously. However, to them, this particular ceremony was very special, because it was Annabelle’s.

Of all the families there to support the students, Annabelle’s had to be the most diverse and the weirdest.

Naturally, he and Jack were there, as were the Doctor, Donna, and the twins. Rhiannon, Johnny, and their whole family were there as well. Only Gavin and Rebecca came of their particular families, though Ianto was touched by their presence, and he knew that Annabelle was as well. His Mam came too. Annabelle was her youngest granddaughter and Gladys would see her graduation, even if Stuart was gone. Sylvia, likewise, would have had his head if she hadn’t been included and Ianto knew that she was there on behalf of herself and Wilfred. The old man, bless his heart, would have loved to see Annabelle graduate.

Rhys came as well, Eleanor with him, proud of the girl who had taken to the older woman as an aunt very early on. Zachary came as well, since he was a part of the family, odd as it was, bringing along his wife of two years. Anwen was there too, happy to see her younger cousin graduate college. The older young woman had her husband of a year with her and Ianto saw the looks that he was giving the rest of the crew. Martha, Mickey, and Theo were all there as well. Hell and high water couldn’t stop them.

When it came time for the conferral of the diplomas, Ianto held Jack’s hand tightly.

“Annabelle Toshiko Harkness-Jones,” the university’s provost called.

Pride swelled in Ianto’s chest as Annabelle strode across the stage, head held high, black academic robes swirling around her. She was smiling as she shook the dean’s hand and accepted the rolled tube that contained her diploma.

Tears pricked at Ianto’s eyes.

Jack squeezed his hand. “She did it,” he whispered.

Ianto looked over at Jack and saw the tears shining there as well. “Yes, she did.”

They shared a look and both understood. Their little girl, the one who they had cared for and raised, the one who had saved the world and then crammed for exams, the daughter they helped on homework assignments and with all of the hurdles of growing up, had officially received her university diploma.

She had grown up.

Time flew from there and the graduates had processed out. Among the swarm of graduates and their families, they found Annabelle.

Well, more like she found them.

Annabelle had come tearing through the crowd, robes billowing out around her, diploma and cap in hand. She was grinning broadly.

Together, Jack and Ianto opened their arms to her and she threw herself into their embrace, encircling her into a tight hug.

“Congratulations, angel,” Ianto whispered into her ear.

“We’re both so proud of you, baby girl,” Jack echoed.

Annabelle was still smiling, though Ianto thought that he detected the slightest hint of tears in her eyes when she pulled back. “Thanks, Tad, Dad!”

 Before they could continue any further, however, the rest of the extended, adopted family descended, pulling Annabelle into hug after hug. While there would be a celebration later in honor of this occasion, this was the immediate reaction to her graduation from university and they were all so happy for and proud of her.

Ianto saw a few of Annabelle’s university friends milling around with their friends. Over the years, they had met the ones who were closest to her. And now he saw the looks that they were giving Annabelle, not that she was fazed in the slightest by those looks.

Her family was odd and strange and that was the way that she liked .

It would be a hectic rest of the day, taking pictures and a lot of hugs going around, on top of finishing up packing Annabelle out.

But that would be only the slight worries. After all, your daughter’s graduation from university was a special occasion. Even if said daughter was immortal and would probably have several graduations from university in her lifetime, this one was incredibly special, since this was the one that would remain in his heart and his memory for the rest of eternity.

Later, when they were in the privacy of the TARDIS, Jack wrapped his arm around Ianto’s waist, squeezing a bit.

“She’s going out into the universe, striking out on her own,” Jack stated, bluntly.

"That’s natural for anyone her age,” Ianto replied.

“I’m going to miss having her around.” There was sadness and regret in Jack’s voice. Ianto was very good at recognizing Jack’s emotional shifts by now.

Ianto kissed Jack on the cheek. “Don’t worry, Annabelle will be around. She’s just growing up and finding her place.”

“I know.” Jack sighed. “Still, she’s going to do great things.”

“Brilliant things. After all, she _is_ our daughter.”

Jack laughed. “Oh, that is so true.”


	56. Games, Sports, and Other Misadventures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A simple fun outing turns into an escapade like no other

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No ownage here. I'm just playing in this sandbox.

To start off, it was all Jack’s idea.

Come to think of it, most of the crazily fun ideas that relieved whatever stress and tension in their lives at that particular period of time were Jack’s ideas. Not to say that Ianto didn’t come up with ideas of his own to have fun, but Jack’s ideas tended to border on the insane and were overall fun.

Which is why Ianto was grinning like a mad fool as he crouched behind a massive hay stack, wearing paint-stained overalls with a full-faced plastic mask over his face and clutching a fully-loaded paintball gun in his hands.

How Jack had managed to convince the Doctor, Mickey, Theo, Annabelle, Geoff, S.J., and himself that was a brilliantly good idea to have a paintball gun fight was beyond Ianto. Donna and Martha merely shook their heads and told the group that they would be taking pictures of this absurd adventure. And, to top it off, Jack had decided that they should split into teams – just to make the whole escapade was recorded.

Looking over, Ianto saw Geoff and Annabelle crouching behind a nearby haystack. The two, along with S.J., were on Ianto’s team.

jack had suggested that Ianto and himself should be team captains and pick their teams as such. While Jack had picked the Doctor (for his sheer insane ideas), Mickey (for his tactical knowledge in fights), and Theo (for taking after his father), Ianto was glad that he had gotten his team. Annabelle was as insane as Jack was in the crazy department and the twins could think in sync of one another, which meant that they were near deadly in combination.

A quick, almost silent conversation between Annabelle and Geoff led to a hand signal from Annabelle. Ianto nodded, understanding.

Seconds later, he rose from his defensive position and moved around the stack, taking careful aim of his paintball gun,

Jack came into his field of vision, a response to his action. Out of the corner of his eye, Ianto saw the Doctor, Mickey, and Theo following Jack. His grin widened ever so slightly under his mask.

He fired his gun carefully, specifically targeting Jack.

Bursts of paintball-sized welts raised on his chest as Jack returned his fire. He wasn’t even bothered by the pain or the fact that Jack’s paintballs were a very dark blue.

Blue wasn’t in his color scheme – so Jack was going to pay for that later.

Splats of red riddled Jack’s chest as Ianto landed shots on him. Ianto had to smile to himself.

His shot had improved so much over the years.

Ianto ignored the rest of their respective teams and their movements. He focused solely on Jack and the evil look that Ianto saw shining through his mask. Oh yes, Jack was baiting Ianto and Ianto was falling for it.

But yet he loved it.

Like the cowboys of old western films, the two immortals slowly closed the distance between the pair of them, each steadily emptying their respective hops of paintballs at each other. Ianto could hardly keep himself from laughing because this was extremely entertaining and just the right kind of stress-reliever that he needed to unwind from the past few weeks of chasing aliens around the galaxy and time-hopping.

After a few seconds and their hops were totally unloaded, Jack closed the remaining small distance between by tacking and pinning Ianto to the ground, making both of them laugh. They both pushed off of their facemasks, sharing happy grins.

Jack used his leverage on Ianto and kissed him lightly on the lips.

“This is fun,” Jack said, when he pulled back.

Grinning, Ianto nodded his head. “I agree. We needed this.”

“Oh yeah.”

They shared another laugh as the rest of their teams came forward, all seeming to acknowledge that the fight was over for the time being, pulling their masks off. Ianto could see the grins on all of their faces. Every one of them needed to have something fun like this to relieve their tensions.

Slowly, Jack let Ianto up and helped him off of the ground.

“We should do this again,” the Doctor said. “This was good fun.”

Ianto rolled his eyes. “Oh, I can see you having too much, the next time we do something like this, Doctor. Perhaps, try to get the Tardis involved?”

The Doctor’s eyes sparkled with delight. “Now that you mention, Ianto, that’s a good idea.”

“Damn!” Jack swore.

Oh, that was a brilliant idea. Jack was inwardly quivering at the idea of the Tardis being involved in a future paintball fight. Ianto could just imagine how that would end up.


	57. Paternal Approval

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabelle has a boyfriend that Jack and Ianto actually might like. Only problem? They know this guy very well!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own a thing here.
> 
> So, I've been agonized and agonizing over the potential boyfriend of Annabelle. Then it struck me. There was one person who I've neglected to mention in this series, who I loved from the TV series and who could be a potentially great pairing with Annabelle. You'll have to read to find out who that is though!

When Annabelle rang them after she had been time-hopping (under the close supervision of both Geoff and S.J.) for about nearly a year to say that she had met a young man who she was falling in love with, both Jack and Ianto were very incredulous.

From what she had told them, they had met when she and the twins had stopped in a coffee shop in the early 21st century for a drink. The young man in question had also stopped into the shop for a pick-me-up coffee when he had gotten off work and they had (apparently quite literally) bumped into one another, causing both coffees to spill. Ianto had been a bit miffed to hear that she had stained her duster (which Jack thought was positively adorable, considering he wasn’t as pissed off about her falling in love with a guy from the past as he was that she had stained her coat).

In repayment for spilling her coffee on her coat, the young man (who, after much needling and prompting from Ianto, Annabelle revealed was named Andrew) had bought her a fresh coffee and they had spent an enjoyable evening chatting up. Geoff and S.J. both approved of the man, which was saying a lot, given that they were both Time Lord-dominant and they had both gotten the Lecture about relationships with people from the past from the Doctor on multiple occasions.

During the few months that the trio spent during that time period, Annabelle spent more and more time with this Andrew fellow. Apparently, as reported by the twins, the attraction between the two was undeniable and both were pretty darn sure this could be the one for Annabelle, though no one was planning on figuring out how to make the man long-lived yet.

He had to survive meeting Jack and Ianto first. 

Which was what led both Jack and Ianto to be waiting in a quaint coffee shop in a nice neighborhood in London in 2015.

Annabelle had given them the address of the shop, stating that it was neutral territory for everyone involved. They wouldn’t have to worry about running into their past selves either, Jack noted with a smile.

Ianto, Jack saw, was incredibly nervous. His left foot was twitching and that was always a blatant sign of his nerves.

Reaching over, Jack took Ianto’s hand.

“It’s going to be okay, Yan,” he said, reassuringly. “We’ve met all of Annabelle’s boyfriends. Why should this guy be any different?”

Ianto arched an eyebrow at him. “Because she really likes this one.”

Jack paused to consider those words and shook his head. As always, Ianto was right, though Jack was not going to show that he was more nervous about meeting Annabelle’s potential love interest than any previous one – either Annabelle’s or Alice’s, though Alice had been very reluctant to introduce Jack to anyone she had in her life.

Ianto tapped the back of his hand with his finger. Jack raised his eyes to Ianto’s and the two immortals shared a look. Jack knew what Ianto was thinking.

"Oh, alright, you win, Yan. I’ll try not to send this one running and screaming, the first time we meet him.”

Okay, he had only done that once – twice – well, three times, but all three guys deserved it. They weren’t good enough for Annabelle and none were totally comfortable with the fact that Annabelle had two fathers. Long ago, Jack and Ianto had figured out that, when meeting potential romantic interests of their daughter, they had to be completely upfront with their personalities – and the coats, since Ianto had pointed out that the coats were so damn scary and any person who didn’t reflexively get scared or overly-impressed when they came walking towards them, coats on, might have a chance. 

“Dad! Tad!”

They heard Annabelle’s voice from a distance, calling them, and both turned reflexively, standing up to greet their daughter.

And both felt their jaws drop at the man who was walking, albeit a bit bashfully, next to her.

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me!” Jack said, suppressing a groan.

“How could we have missed that?” Ianto echoed.

Andy Davidson, current sergeant and former PC of the Cardiff police force, was walking, hand-in-hand, with Annabelle.

The blond stopped dead as soon as he recognized the two men. His eyes widened, surprise filling them. A wide range of emotions crossed his face and, at any other time, it might have been hilarious.

But not now.

Annabelle sensed that something was up. She looked between her fathers and her (very new) boyfriend.

“What’s going on?” she asked, clearly unaware of the relationship that Andy had with Ianto and Jack.

“Those are your parents?” Jack heard Andy ask, looking to her, astonishment so evident in his voice.

She nodded to him in affirmation. "Yep, they are."

“I am so confused right now.”

Jack felt some sympathy for Andy. He did like the younger man, though that level of like would depend on the outcome of this particular meeting. However, in general, he thought that Andy was quite competent and, on more than one occasion, had proved himself to be a loyal asset to Torchwood, even if he had never officially been a member of the organization itself, in any of its incarnations.

He traded a look with Ianto and only years of being around each other had meant that they had perfect the silent conversation.

They walked in sync to Annabelle and Andy.

“Hello, Andy,” Ianto said, a very genuine smile on his lips, “it’s been a while.”

It was Annabelle’s turn to be surprised and confused.

“Do you know each other?”

Andy nodded. “Yeah, they worked for the special ops in Cardiff – Torchwood. But, last I heard, you had faked your death. Something about Witness Protection after the 456 incident.” The Welsh policeman looked over Ianto and Jack saw the way that his eyes lingered on Ianto’s hair. “What really happened to you, Ianto?”

A lot of people focused on Ianto’s hair. It was quite the disconnect, given Ianto’s youthful appearance, even though it had been years since that reactor incident. 

Right, Jack realized, the cover story of the time.

Ianto shook his head, drawing a heavy sigh, one that made Jack wrap an arm around his waist in support. This was not the kind of meeting that either one of them had planned for, when Annabelle said that she wanted to introduce them to her new beau. 

“It’s quite a long story, Andy, but the short version is that I really did die in the Thames House, came back to life a few days later, found out that I was immortal, spent fifteen years bouncing around the Time Vortex with the Doctor, met back up with Jack in 2014, and we’ve been together ever since.” Jack heard the slight humor in Ianto’s voice and saw the way that Andy’s face was screwed up, doing the math. Now came the very interesting part. “Of course,” Ianto continued, “that was well over twenty years ago for us. Since then, we’ve been married twice and obviously had Annabelle.”

“But? How?”

Andy looked between them and Annabelle.

“Come on,” Jack said, sympathetically, “we’ll explain over drinks.”

And they did.

It was a lot for Andy to take in, though, to his credit, he handled it well, especially when it came the fact that they were all from the future. Apparently, frequent exposures to the “spooky-dos” had made Andy very open to pretty much anything. 

Through it all, Jack saw how Annabelle was becoming quieter and more reserved. She was so much like Ianto that way.

Andy sensed it too because he was holding her hand the entire time and was constantly going to her for support.

Knowing that this was the make-or-break time and that, up until this point, her relationship with Andy was seemingly very strong, he looked at the man sitting next to his daughter and asked, very seriously, “So, Andy Davidson, you think you can handle traveling with the Doctor for a while?”

“What do you mean?” he replied, quietly, after a moment.

"Well, if you’re going to be in a relationship with our daughter,” Ianto said, “you’ve got to handle the fact that she has a very weird extended family, one that includes several Time Lords and a TARDIS.”

Andy paused for a few seconds, clearly considering what Ianto was saying. He looked at Annabelle and saw the plain-as-day expression on her face. A genuine smile split across his face as their eyes met and Jack felt his heart melt at the emotions that he saw on both of their faces in that one, single emotion.

That was love alright, simple as that.

The mortal Welshman looked back to Ianto and Jack.

“I suppose I could handle it, as long as Annabelle’s there to help me out,” he replied.

Jack nodded. 

It might take a while for them to fully approve of the relationship between Annabelle and Andy, but there was no denying the fact that Andy was obviously more than willing to give it a shot. That was a plus for him.

“Right then,” Ianto said, his voice business as usual, “I’ll ring Donna and have the Doctor pick us up, early next week.” 

“Why next week?” Andy asked, clearly confused.

“We’ve got to go back to Cardiff,” Ianto replied. “You’ve got packing to do and we’ve got to handle the whole problem that we’re essentially stealing a member of the police force away to go traipsing through time.”

Jack chuckled, a thought crossing his mind. Ianto shook his head, clearly thinking the same thing.

“What do you reckon Swanson’ll do when we came walking into the police station?” he asked. Jack winced at the mention of the woman. She was still there then. “We’re going to have to avoid Gwen though. She’d be pissed as hell if she knew that the us of the future were stealing her co-worker of the present, all because he’s dating our daughter.”

“Or we could screw with her mind,” Ianto countered. “Make her think that we’re the us of the present.”

Oooh, there was Ianto’s nefarious mind.

“Just don’t flirt, Dad,” Annabelle said, dryly. “Not in front of me, please. My eyeballs still haven’t recovered from the last time you did that.”

“Hey!” Jack exclaimed, almost offended. “That was a very nice race of aliens and fondling their asses is just a way of saying hello.”

“You used that excuse on me for a week, Jack,” Ianto added, “and I restricted you to decaf and instant for three weeks for that.”

He gave Ianto a little pout.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw Andy chuckle. “Oh yeah, definitely more interesting than working in Cardiff.”

Yep, Andy just might last.


	58. Welcome To Our Real World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ianto and Jack have to console Andy after his first real adventre with the TARDIS crew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, you should know that I don't own a thing by now.

The blond Welshman was sitting on the couch, looking off into space with a very dazed expression.

Ianto felt a whole lot of sympathy for Andy. The now-former Police Constable had just participated in his first crazy, Doctor-caused, world-saving adventure as a member of the TARDIS crew. He had handled it very well, all things considered. Between working for the Cardiff police department, handling Torchwood, the 456, and Miracle Day, he didn’t freak out like any other normal person would.

And he had suffered a trial by fire, of sorts.

They had taken Andy to his first alien planet, a seeming nice planet of walking, talking plant people. All seemed right and nice and Andy was handling it very well. However, no sooner had they settled down to a relaxing, early dinner then a band of Fire Furies appeared, threatening death and destruction upon the peaceful plant people.

Annabelle had been particularly miffed. She remembered her fateful tenth birthday, all those years ago.

And, as it should have gone, once the Fire Furies had appeared, all hell literally broke forth.

Somehow, in the crossfire, Andy had been separated from the rest of the crew, isolated with the young of the plant people. The Fire Furies had been particularly interested in getting the young of the planet, since, in their rationale, young planets burned better and brighter. Andy, having heard that claimed, had shown the same courage and strength that he had shown during the crisis with the 456. Ianto might have been technically dead when Andy had stood up to the military and police, but he had heard all about Andy’s brave actions in the end.

By the time Annabelle had organized a rescue for Andy and the plant young, Andy had effectively mounted his own fighting force, using (much to everyone’s great surprise and amusement) similar tactics that the twins had used at Annabelle’s tenth birthday party – the planet’s version of water balloons. To say that Ianto was quite proud of his daughter’s choice of a boyfriend was an understatement.

Well, that and the fact that the young of the planet had decided to make Andy one of their own and give the appropriate face paint to go with it had made the man seem both terrifying and amusing.

But, once that was all said and done, they had to go back to the TARDIS. It had been relatively easy to get the Fire Furies off of the planet. The lethal combination of the Doctor (and his reputation – and his beloved plastic squirt gun, which Donna and the TARDIS had so helpfully provided), Ianto and Jack (and the threat of their daughter), and Andy’s very interesting fighting had effectively gotten the Fire Furies to agree to never come back to the planet. Ianto was pretty sure that the Fire Furies would be avoiding that solar system for a few thousand years to come. Though, to the chagrin of most of the TARDIS crew (Andy was excluded, since he had been “adopted” by the race), the plant people were more than happy to see them leaving.

Which was what led Ianto to find Andy sitting where he was. 

“Coffee?” Ianto asked, holding out a mug of the hot, steaming, freshly-made beverage.   
He had had to threaten Jack with no sex for a month, just to make sure that Andy got coffee. Andy needed it more than Jack did at the moment.

Andy looked up from the couch at him and gratefully took the proffered mug. “Thanks, Ianto.”

After a few moments (and Ianto was sure that Andy wasn’t going to spike perfectly good coffee with anything harder), Ianto slid down next to his fellow Welshman. He gave Andy a sympathetic look.

“You did well out there today,” Ianto comment, his lame attempt to start a conversation not going unnoticed by both. It had been a very long time since he had had to have one of these conversations with someone.

“Is it always like this?” Andy asked, honesty in his voice.

That made Ianto pause.

In retrospect, it was probably good that Andy was asking him this question, and not Annabelle. Ianto had better perspective on the whole situation, better than Annabelle. Ianto distinctly remembered what it was like to be mortal and his early interactions with the aliens and the rest of the galaxy. That, and Ianto was a fellow Welshman from the same time period as Andy, so they could relate to one another better than anyone else on the TARDIS could (save for Donna, though the red-head had made herself conspicuously scarce since they had returned to the TARDIS – Ianto suspected that she had engineered this discussion).

Still, after a few moments of consideration of Andy’s question, Ianto found himself giving Andy an honest answer.

“Not always,” he admitted, shrugging his shoulders. “It all depends on the length of time since the last major disaster. Well, and how long it’s been since you’ve been traveling with the Doctor or if he’s decided to settle down and keep it quiet for a while.” Andy raised an eyebrow in question. “He and Donna had settled down in Chiswick when the twins started school. Jack and I followed suit shortly after. Annabelle was just a young girl at the time. The Doctor, Donna, Jack, and I all wanted the kids to have as normal a childhood as possible, given the Doctor’s and Jack’s tendency to bring trouble.”

That seemed to make Andy think.

“It’s hard wrapping my head around the fact that Annabelle is your daughter.” Ianto laughed at that understanding. “I mean, up until Annabelle introduced us, I had only thought that you had just come out of Witness Protection.”

"Time travel does screw up your sense of timelines.” Ianto gave Andy a steady look as Andy drew a long sip from his mug. “Rex and Esther still mess up from time to time.”

Andy snorted into his mug. “Oh yeah, Torchwood America, that’s what Annabelle called them. It’s weird to think that the spooky-dos have gone global.”

“Not global, just instated due to necessity. I can’t blame Jack and Gwen for recruiting during the Miracle Day crisis. I wasn’t around then.” Ianto shrugged. “I’m surprised you weren’t tapped as a member of Torchwood then.” The two men shared a knowing look and both laughed at that thought. “Regardless, I don’t always like Rex, but Esther does a good job of keeping him in line.”

“From what I know of the man, he reminds me of a more obnoxious Jack.”

“Why am I obnoxious now?” Jack’s voice echoed from behind them, causing both to turn and look up at him as he entered the room.

“Not you, Rex,” Ianto clarified.

“I take offense to that. I have a better sense of dress than Rex does and are you going to finish that coffee, Andy?” Jack looked poignantly (if a bit like a puppy dog) at the mug in Andy’s hand. 

Andy rolled his eyes. “Go make your own, Jack.”

Jack pouted. “I’m not allowed to touch the coffee machine, Ianto’s orders.”

“Not after last time!” Ianto exclaimed. He looked at Andy and gave the simplest explanation he possibly could, “Jack has a bad habit of tying to imitate my coffee-making skills. Suffice to say, those attempts are severely lacking.”

“But not for lack of effort.”

Andy looked between the two of them and chuckled, making the both of them raise eyebrows in question. “Annabelle really does take after the two of you,” he said. “I can see so much of the both of you in her.”

“That’s a good thing, I hope,” Jack said.

“Yeah, it is.”

Ianto and Jack shared a look.

“So, you’re staying then?”

Andy nodded. “Yeah, I’m sticking around.”

“Good.” Jack had one of his trademark devil-may-care smiles on and Andy didn’t flinch from that look. “Since you’re staying, why don’t we see if we can get the TARDIS to give you a proper room. I think you’ve proved that you deserve a room over kitting on the floor in a sleeping bag.”

The blond rubbed his shoulder in memory of the past nights of sleeping on the floor. Ianto felt sympathetic to him. The TARDIS did have the way of testing him out, to see if he could handle being a part of the family. Ianto wasn’t going to tell Andy that the TARDIS was testing him. He wanted to wait and see if the man could win over the heart of the time-traveling, space-traversing, sentient TARDIS himself and, given that it was Andy and he was genuinely a good guy, he was winning over the TARDIS slowly.

And that, in and of itself, was a grand feat.

The TARDIS had a way of testing the people who lived within her walls. Ianto remembered that it took until he had successfully gotten the Doctor to sleep (a task that had occupied him for his first two days on the TARDIS) before she had decided that she was going to accept him as a passenger and compatriot – and give him a very lovely room, to boot.

“I’d be glad if the TARDIS just gave me a proper bed,” Andy said. “I wouldn’t mind if it wasn’t comfortable. A bed is a bed and is better than the floor.”

Ianto clapped Andy on the shoulder as the TARDIS surged with warm, finally acknowledging that he was worthy to be both a member of their family and to be Annabelle’s boyfriend.

“I think that the TARDIS will do better than that,” he replied, smiling.

“Well, as long as she doesn’t make me sleep on any more floors, unless I really deserve it, then I think I’ll be good with that.”

Jack laughed heartily. “Andy Davidson, you are the right sort of person for TARDIS travel.”

As Andy and Ianto got up from the couch, Andy’s coffee mug still safely clasped in his hands (and far from the prying grasp of Jack), Andy answered, “Is there a wrong sort of person for travel on the TARDIS?”

“Oh, you have no idea!”

And that, as they was, was that.


	59. Disputes Over Bedsheets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Jack and Ianto attempt to redecorate their room on the TARDIS, they have something of a fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own anything that you recognize!

It was supposed to be a simple redecoration of their bedroom suite on the TARDIS, but said redecoration quickly devolved into a very serious marital dispute – screaming and yelling included.

In retrospect, getting mad over the color and fabric of their bed sheets was such a minor thing in the grand scheme of the universe and Time itself. Both of them knew that, but both were so adamant on their particular choices – deep burgundy silk from Jack and crisp light green Egyptian cotton from Ianto.

They could not compromise on the choice, which led to an escalated argument and some pretty heated words. Ianto wasn’t particularly angry at Jack for his selection. Silk wasn’t a bad choice, but he just didn’t know if he wanted to have it for their bed. It seemed a little too extravagant for his taste, especially considering he knew exactly where Jack wanted to purchase said sheets from – and Ianto did not approve of that buying from that particular venue, even if there was name prestige to go along with the shop. Despite their very generous income (thank you, I. J. H. Plantations, Inc.!), Ianto was not going to spend a fortune on sheets.

He simply could not bring himself to do that.

Which is why he and Jack ended up sleeping in separate rooms on the TARDIS after that particular fight.

Ianto had kicked Jack out of the room and promptly locked the door, feeling particularly satisfied to hear the TARDIS add a few locks of her own to the mix. He had silently thanked the TARDIS for liking him so much, because she was not going to let Jack worm his way back into the room until both had had the time to cool down and think about the argument.

It was such a stupid fight, Ianto realized, as he spent the bulk of the evening, purposefully rearranging the room (out of some combination of spite, restless energy, and a need to do something), but he just got so mad at Jack.

Said rearranging actually did a lot to cool him down – particularly since he had made a generous effort to arrange things as they had been during the fifteen (relative) years that he had spent on the TARDIS before he and Jack had been reunited. If nothing else, he would have some amusement (however sick and twisted said amusement was) when Jack realized that he couldn’t find anything that he was looking for, particularly in the clothes department.

Jack had, after all, left his greatcoat in the bedroom when Ianto kicked him out.  
Ianto’s trench coat was laid, ever so lovingly, across the work table, besides stacks of books and accumulated work papers. It was in plain sight, which was not the case for Jack’s greatcoat.

Oh, Ianto loved the coat ever so much and, no matter how angry he was at Jack, he could never damage the coat. Jack just wasn’t the same without it and Ianto knew that. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t have his fun hiding it from Jack and then watching Jack frantically running around, trying to find it. Jack’d be something like a chicken without its head – and that, as Ianto had long since learned, was always amusing to see.

Still, it was quite a good feeling to wake up in the morning, having had a chance to mull over the previous night’s fight and in a better frame of mind.

That, and the TARDIS had reached out and brushed his mind, telling him that Jack was waiting outside his door with a breakfast tray.

Ianto took his sweet time getting ready. Jack and the breakfast would keep for another twenty minutes, after all. Normally, Ianto wasn’t the vindictive type, but this was quite fun. He was enjoying it. He might not make a habit of it, but he had to keep Jack on his toes somehow.

Finally, when he opened the door, Ianto almost wished he hadn’t taken as long as he had to get ready.

The tray of food was there, looking perfect and delicious.

Jack, however, was not.

That, in and of itself, was cause for concern for Ianto. Where in the world was Captain Jack Harkness?

Frowning, Ianto stepped out of the room and into the hall, closing the door behind him. He bent down and picked up the breakfast tray, bracing it against his hip, careful not to spill anything, as he stared down the hall in search of his missing husband.

It was so unlike Jack to disappear when they were on the road to resolve an argument.  
The TARDIS wasn’t being helpful to him. If anything, she was being exceptionally tight-lipped about the whereabouts of Jack.

Ianto wandered through the halls of the TARDIS for a good thirty minutes when the breakfast tray started to get particularly heavy in his arms. He sighed and his stomach rumbled. It smelled so delicious and he guessed that Jack had spent a significant amount of time preparing it, though the distinct lack of coffee was a sign of both his understanding that he wasn’t allowed to use the coffee machine and that Annabelle either was not around or had been completely unwilling to help him make coffee.

So, frustrated that he still couldn’t find Jack and very hungry, Ianto managed to find his way into the kitchen.

And there he found the one that he had been searching for.

Jack was sitting at one end of the all-important communal kitchen table of the TARDIS, his elbows propped up on the table, head in hands. Ianto paused, taking in the sight. Jack was dressed in very rumpled pajamas that he had probably nipped from the Wardrobe (Ianto did not want to know where the clothes of the previous day went). His hair was sticking out in every direction, a clear indication that he had made no effort to compose himself, a sure sign that Jack had been too occupied with other things (their fight, no doubt), since Jack was normally so vain about his appearance.

Sympathy tugged at Ianto’s heartstrings.

If Jack had heard him enter the room, he didn’t show it. Ianto walked towards him, his soft footfalls the only indication of his approach. It wasn’t until he put the tray on the table that Jack looked up at him, sad emotion dominating his face and his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Ianto said, “about last night. I shouldn’t have gotten so riled up and said what I did.”

Jack sighed heavily and took a moment to respond.

“It wasn’t just you. I pushed you.”

Ianto slid down into the chair next to Jack and took Jack’s hands in his own, squeezing tightly. “We have such different opinions of these things and we took it too seriously and too far.”

Silence hung over them for a few moments.

“Was it really worth a fight?” Jack asked.

“No,” Ianto said, with a shrug, “but it was a hell of a fight, yeah?”

“Yeah, it was.”

They sat in silence for a few more moments before Ianto said the one thing that was on both of their minds, “I think we’d better keep from fighting like that in front of the kids, at least for the time being. Andy seemed a little frightened when we started yelling in the control room last night.”

Jack raised an eyebrow. “Hey, you were the one who was so opposed to silk sheets.”

Yep, they were back on this.

“Well, silk is nice, but I don’t think it’ll work for the bedroom.”

Moments later, Jack sighed and nodded. “Fine, we’ll go with the Egyptian cotton,” he acquiesced, “but I say we go with burgundy.”

That was a fair compromise.

“Sounds good to me,” Ianto agreed

“Good.” Jack gave Ianto a conspiratorial smirk. “You have to admit, Andy’s face was really funny last night.”

“Yep, it was.” Ianto chuckled and looked to the breakfast tray that Jack had put together. Everything was cold and they would have to warm it all up. “How about we remake that tray, go back to our room, and calmly figure out what we’re going to do with the rest of the room.”

Jack wiggled his eyebrows at Ianto, promising so much more than discussions.

“I think I can agree to that,” he said, “as long as you make the coffee.”

“Oh, definitely.”

And that was how they solved that particular marital dispute.

Though Ianto wasn’t going to tell Jack about the rearranged room or the craftily-hidden greatcoat. That would be too easy. Besides, Ianto need an ace in his pocket for the time being. They still had to decide on what color they were going to paint the room.

And he just wanted to watch Jack go into chicken-without-its-head mode. Maybe he’d get the TARDIS to record that for progeny’s sake.


	60. Find That Coat!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here is Jack's reaction to finding the rearranged room. Immediately following "Disputes Over Bedsheets."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No owning here. Just playing.

It took Jack all of about one minute to realize that things were not where he had left them. Unlike Ianto, Jack possessed neither a near-photographic memory nor a (not!) OCD need for order. So, the fact that it only took him a grand total of sixty seconds (by Jack’s own count, of course – the TARDIS and Ianto knew better) to realize that there was something going on was something short of a miracle.

Ianto was incredibly quiet about what happened. He figured that Jack knew that it was either Ianto or the TARDIS who was the culprit here.

Besides, this was even more amusing that he thought it would be.

Jack’s first reaction upon realizing that his precious greatcoat was missing was to look at Ianto, who merely shrugged and smiled innocently. The game was only beginning and Ianto was not going to spoil the fun yet. After all, the longer that Jack spent trying to find his greatcoat, the harder it would be for him to realize that Ianto had hidden it in the most obvious place.

Though Ianto did give Jack one clue – the greatcoat had not left their suite.

That, naturally, prompted a long rush around the room – which made a massive mess. 

All of the papers and file folders that Ianto had so neatly and tediously straightened on the work desk were strewn all over the floor and Ianto had only managed to salvage his trench coat from a close inspection (because Jack was so sure that Ianto had figured out a way to hide the greatcoat inside of the trench coat – which would have taken more time and effort than Ianto had felt like expending on this particular antic). Everything had been pulled off of the bed and the mattress had been overturned (a feat which Jack had completed by himself, since Ianto had decided to sit back and watch this event unfold with amusement in his eyes). The bathroom was no better and, once Jack was satisfied that Ianto hadn’t flushed the coat down the drain or hidden it under the sink, Jack’s energy was noticeably flagging.

And Ianto could tell that Jack was quite distraught over the missing status of his coat. 

Jack flopped down onto the much-askew mattress, folding himself in such a way that made him look absolutely pathetic, all while giving Ianto his patented wounded-puppy face.

Normally, Ianto might have caved, willing to end the charade, but he was still too amused by the fact that Jack had looked in almost every single place that he thought that the greatcoat could be, rather than using his brain and thinking logically.

The Welsh immortal rolled his eyes drolly.

“Have you honestly given up, Jack?” he asked, giving an entirely over-dramatic sigh.  
Jack nodded. “I can’t find it!” he whined. “It’s not in the room.”

“Did you check everywhere?” Ianto questioned, arching an eyebrow. Jack nodded. “Under the bed?” An affirmation. “In the bathroom?” Another rushed nod. “By the work table?” Jack’s responses were getting antsy and agitated now, though the response was another overwhelming ‘yes.’ “In the closet?”

That made Jack pause.

His blue eyes went wide as his brain processed what Ianto had said.

In a flash, Jack had pulled himself up and darted into the closet. A loud, resounding whoop filled the air as he found the missing greatcoat. Ianto succumbed to his desire to laugh as Jack came prancing out of the closet, his greatcoat on.

He made for a hilarious sight. Ianto was so glad that the TARDIS was recording this because Jack had his greatcoat on overtop of his pajamas, still looking all the more worse for spending the night not in his proper bed.

After all, if Jack had been thinking logically, he would have known that Ianto would have put the greatcoat in the one place where it belonged – namely, the closet

But that would defeat the purpose of Jack being Jack, now wouldn’t it?


	61. Bring Me a Rose in the Winter TIme

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack gets quite surprised by a small, simple, yet very powerful gesture from Ianto and knows that Ianto needs him more than ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is absolutely no owning on my part.

Valentine’s Day was a particularly difficult holiday to pin down, made even more difficult when you’ve moved back onto the space-traveling, time-traipsing ship that was piloted (primarily) by a semi-manic Time Lord in his tenth regeneration. A person’s sense of time (in particular, the basic passage of time of their native planet and their home time period) warped a great deal. So, navigating the holidays got all the more interesting

It wasn’t easy, Jack knew, but they managed. He knew that it was due, in no small part, to Ianto’s near OCD-like precision and attention to details that they managed to keep a general idea of the early 21st century and the passage of time during Ianto’s and Donna’s native time period.

Jack had long since given up trying to keep track of time from the 51st century and the Boeshane Peninsula.

Besides, 21st century Earth was a particularly fond period time for him. It was when he had met and fallen in love with Ianto, lost Ianto, averted several near-catastrophes, found Ianto, built a life with the (immortal) Welshman, and reminded himself of all of the trials and tribulations of parenthood. And, all the while, Ianto had been the one to guide him (calmly, coolly, and always so well-dressed) through these different stages (okay, maybe not every step of the way – there was that period of time when he thought that Ianto was dead, but that’s beside the point now).

Regardless, Jack always made a point of telling Ianto that he loved him, in some way, shape, or form, every single day. It might be as they were waking up and getting ready for the day, in the middle of a crisis, or as they were falling asleep in each other’s arms at night. He had vowed to do so at their first wedding all those years ago and, by damn, Jack was fulfilling that particular promise.

And, in his own way, Jack would surprise Ianto with little gifts and physical tokens of his love and affection.

Ianto, Jack had long ago learned, was not as easily won over by said tokens, but he did appreciate well-thought-out ones, which was why Jack made a point of being creative. He enjoyed thinking up new gifts for his beloved Welshman – from the new ceramic mug after Ianto’s old one had finally kicked the bucket to a jasmine-scented hand lotion after Ianto’s hands had started cracking due to a week stranded on an alien planet in sub-zero winter to pressing all of his suits when Ianto was laid up in bed with a cold from that same sub-zero winter.

But Jack was always surprised whenever Ianto returned the favor.

As vain as Jack was, he rather enjoyed being the one who gave the gifts, rather than being the one who received the gifts. He figured that it had something to do with the fact that, since he was immortal, he was so used to things being fleeting and losing the things he truly cherished, so receiving gifts was very hard for him. They tended to be reminders of what he was always losing and what had always been just out of his reach.

Ianto came along and changed that, in his stubborn Welsh way.

Which was why Jack couldn’t keep the smile off of his face when he had pulled his greatcoat off of the coat rack by the front door of the TARDIS (okay, it had taken a few years, but everyone was in the habit of hanging up their coats on the coat rack now, even the Doctor – all thanks to Ianto’s persistence), only to find a single red rose stuck to the lapel with a pin.

It wasn’t much to the untrained eye – just a simple rose but, to Jack, he knew what Ianto was saying. His heart swelled in delight and love for Ianto.

Holding his greatcoat in his hands, Jack debated whether he was going to follow Annabelle and Andy into the alien market or if he was going to stay behind and find Ianto. His Welsh husband had insisted that Jack go ahead, that Ianto had a few calls to make back home (namely to Rhiannon and that he would pass along Jack’s love to his sister). Jack had understood that – it was getting harder and harder to call home. Rhiannon and the rest of Ianto’s family was slowly but surely growing older and Ianto was staying the same age. Jack felt a pang of sympathy for Ianto.

Carefully pulling the rose off of his greatcoat, Jack hung it back up on the coatrack and, rose in hand, set off to find Ianto.

Ianto shouldn’t be alone at a time like this, Jack knew. Besides, it wasn’t as if either Andy or Annabelle would miss having Jack hovering nearby, playing the watchful, overbearing, if well-meaning father. 

Quietly, he picked his way through the ever-changing hallways of the TARDIS, back to their room.

When he slipped through the door, rose still in hand, Jack was treating to the sight of Ianto sitting at the work table, phone pressed to his ear. He was laughing heartily, though Jack knew him so well and saw the gentle remorse in his eyes. Jack gave Ianto a little smile as his eyes flicking to the flower in his hands.

Jack slipped to Ianto’s side, leaning down and putting his head on his husband’s shoulder, listening into the conversation.

It was a routine conversation, but Jack found that he enjoyed listening Ianto banter with his sister. He stayed quiet and Ianto didn’t give Rhiannon any clue that Jack was present, which suited Jack for the moment.

“So Johnny’s party is next month, yeah?” Ianto said, moments later.

“You’re expected to be there, Ianto,” Rhiannon replied, her Welsh tone strong over the phone, “and Jack too, since I know you’re listening in.”

Jack and Ianto traded looks

“How’d you know I was here, Rhi?” Jack asked, awe in his tone.

Rhiannon laughed. “Ianto gets quieter and shorter in his responses whenever you decide you want to cuddle, Jack.”

Well, now that she mentioned it, Rhiannon was a valid point. Jack squeezed Ianto’s waist in amusement

“Are presents required for Johnny’s party?” Jack asked. 

Ianto looked at Jack and rolled his eyes. “If you feel so inclined, Jack, but it’s his retirement party,” Ianto told him, dryly.

“Well, I’ll find something good,” Jack promised.

“You better, Jack,” Rhiannon told him, “but if it’s embarrassing or dirty, save it for when we’re in private.”

“No fun!” 

“Jack, we know you,” Ianto said.

“Nothing that would embarrass normal people,” Rhi added. She was smiling. Jack could hear it in her voice. “We may be used to your level of weird or take on normal life, but the rest of the people from Johnny’s work might not be.”

Jack gave Ianto a pout and silenced himself as the conversation turned. After a few more minutes, Ianto and Rhiannon said their farewells, Jack chiming in.

Once the phone was hung up, Ianto laid it onto the table. He sighed heavily.

“I can’t believe Johnny’s retiring already,” Ianto said.

“Well, he’s done good for that company. He is currently the longest serving active senior vice president of merchandising,” Jack reminded Ianto. They shared a knowing look.

“Everyone’s getting older.” Ianto’s Welsh tones were light and sad. “Soon enough, everyone I knew will be dead and I’ll have to live with their memories.” He gave Jack a look. “How do I deal with it?”

It was an honest question and Jack considered it for a moment.

“I can’t tell you that,” he replied, laying the rose on the table and sitting down in the empty chair next to Ianto, taking his Welshman’s hands in his, squeezing comfortingly. “You’re going to have learn how to cope with this in your own way. But, Ianto, I’ll tell you one thing.”

“What’s that?”

Jack gave him a broad smile. “You have me.”

There was a brief smile on Ianto’s face. “And you’re not going to leave me anymore, are you, Jack? You won’t get bored or anything?”

That almost offended Jack.

“Ianto Jones, do you think that I would leave you when I got bored?” he asked, his eyes wide. “You are so wrong there. When you were mortal, yeah, I was worried that I would lose you – but that was because you were mortal and would die, leaving me behind to live with only the memory of you.” Jack leaned forward a little bit. “Now that I have you for the rest of time, I’m not letting you go and don’t forget that!”

Ianto’s self-doubt faded in his eyes, though Jack knew that it was still there. That old fear had long been buried in Ianto’s psyche. And, despite that, Jack still loved Ianto.

Jack looked back at the rose on the table and smiled.

He turned back to Ianto and closed the distance between them, pressing a warm kiss onto Ianto’s lips. A thought crossed Jack’s mind.

“So, now that everyone’s out of the TARDIS,” Jack suggested, “why don’t we celebrate have some fun?”

The little eye-roll was encouraging

“You’re insatiable, Jack.”

“Don’t I know it,” he replied, “and the rose you gave me only made me want you even more.”

Ianto laughed and Jack thought that it would be okay with them.


	62. This Is Our Normal Attitude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Johnny's retirement party takes a turn for the fun once Ianto, Jack, and the rest of the TARDIS crew arrives to join in the celebration.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own a thing here. I am merely borrowing and playing with the characters and ideas that you recognize.

They let Johnny have his normal retirement party with all of his friends and co-workers. Rhiannon knew that they were coming in as a surprise to Johnny, but well after everyone had left the event. In fact, she had been in on it and had arranged a hall for the formal retirement party, where Mica and David had run interference back to the house, where Ianto and Jack were coordinating the second party – the weird one, where the extended, adopted family would celebrate all of Johnny’s successes.

And the best part was that Johnny had absolutely no idea what they were planning.

In retrospect, that was the best part. It meant that they had full reign of pulling out all of the stops on this one.

Ianto loved all of it, Jack could tell. This was his way of thanking both his sister and his brother-in-law for putting up with their weirdness, over the years, and not putting up walls as time went on, like Gavin and Rebecca had done. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that, out of all of his siblings, Rhiannon was the only one who shared Ianto’s distinct ability to see the reality of the situation and was able to look beyond the stupid to see what was the most important things – or maybe it simply had to do with the fact that, out of all of them, she had been the one he had reached out to during the 456 incident, all those years ago, simply because, at the time, she was the only one of the four Jones siblings to have children. He didn’t know, but he didn’t care, to be perfectly honest.

Finally, when Mica gave the go-ahead on final preparations (because the official party was winding down), Ianto found himself grinning like a schoolboy. 

He had been the main driving force behind the idea of treating Rhiannon and Johnny to an elegant tour. Jack had jumped on the idea and had convinced (somehow, magically) the Doctor that the couple should see the galaxy by the way of the galaxy, even if only for a few trips. Ianto had wanted to treat them to the finest tour of the planet, but he realized that the two had lived on Earth all of their lives, so maybe it would be nice to share this part of his life with them, if only for a little while.

And he knew that Jack had wanted to help him create a few more memories of Rhiannon.

That was one of the many reasons that Ianto loved Jack. 

Mere moments before Johnny and Rhiannon pulled into the driveway, Ianto got everyone in place, waiting for them. The TARDIS was parked in the back yard, hiding away from sight. Mica and David had stepped out from the official retirement party much earlier in the evening, sneaking back to the house with their spouses.

He heard their voices, long before they opened the door. Ianto didn’t bother to suppress his mischievous grin. This was quite fun.

Rhiannon was the first one through the door, Johnny right behind her.

Both stopped at the sight of all of the people gathered – Ianto and Jack, Annabelle (who Andy was hiding behind – he hadn’t officially met Rhiannon and Johnny as the boyfriend of their niece), the Doctor and Donna, the twins, Martha and Mickey, Theo and his new wife, Rhys and Eleanor, Anwen and her boyfriend, Zach and his wife. Ianto saw the surprised look cross Johnny’s face. All of the people here, at some point, had spent time with Rhiannon and Johnny and had bonded with the couple.

“Congratulations, Johnny,” Ianto said, as he approached his brother-in-law, drinks in hand, Jack behind him. “You’ve do so well for yourself.”

“You planned this, Ianto?”

“Jack and your kids had a major hand in this,” Ianto admitted, grinning as Johnny and Rhiannon took the drinks from him. “We couldn’t let your retirement after a very successful career pass unnoticed, so we got every weird person we know together to celebrate the most stable relationship in our lives.”

Johnny laughed, understanding his meaning. “Have I mentioned how odd you all are, Ianto?”

“Less than you should have, Johnny.”

“Regardless,” Jack added, a grin on his face, “I love a good party.”

“You would,” Rhiannon quipped, slapping Jack on the shoulder. “You love to be the center of attention.”

Jack pretended to look offended by that.

“I do not!”

Ianto and Rhiannon shared a knowing look. Jack was lying, but neither felt like calling him out on that at the moment.

“The point is moot right now,” Ianto soothed. “Let’s just enjoy the party, yeah? And then the two of you have to get some rest because, tomorrow morning, we start off your retirement in an entirely fun way.”

Ianto watched as his sister and her husband exchanged a confused look.

“What are you talking about, Yan?”

Jack smirked. “Guess what, you’re going to have a little adventure on the TARDIS, nothing too serious or life-threatening, of course. Simply a few trips through time, seeing the sites and meeting a few famous people, if we can swing it. That’s up to the Doctor and Donna entirely.”

“Really?”

Rhiannon was cautiously excited about that. She was such the history buff. Johnny, on the other hand, looked a little more apprehensive, though Ianto could tell that he was very intrigued by the fact that he wanted to travel – really travel – on the TARDIS.

“Yep,” Ianto confirmed. “Besides, it’ll give you a chance to grill Annabelle’s new boyfriend.”

“Right, Annabelle’s boyfriend,” Johnny said. Ianto could see the unbridled glee at the prospect of playing protective uncle to Annabelle – a notion he shared with the Doctor and Mickey. “Where’s the bloke anyway?” He peered around and spotted Annabelle and Andy, who had found his way, a bit bashfully, out from behind her. “That him? The blond bloke who looks all shy and all?”

“Yep, former Cardiff police Sergeant Andy Davidson.”

Rhiannon’s eyes widened at Jack’s comment.

“I remember him,” she said, looking back to Ianto. “He was with Gwen, protecting the kids we were housing during that 456 incident, from when you – well, when you died.”

“Him?” Johnny exclaimed, obviously surprised. “Oi, time travel really screws with your brain.”

“Just you wait,” Ianto warned. “You’ll have more time to mess with him later, so be nice tonight, Johnny.”

Johnny grinned. “Oh, alright Ianto. Only because I like you lot and because you threw me this party.”

“Now get along and enjoy this party.”

And Johnny went off and did.

Later, Rhiannon found her way to his side and wrapped her arm around his waist. Ianto looked over at his older sister and gave her a warm smile.

“Thank you,” she said, “for all of this.”

“It’s the least I could do,” he replied. “Besides, the two of you have been hearing all about our adventures on the TARDIS for years now, so it’s your turn.”

Rhiannon rolled her eyes. “Why do I get the feeling I’m going to have to play baby-sitter to Johnny?”

“Probably because you will.” Rhiannon snorted at his comment. “I do it all the time with Jack and Donna definitely does that for the Doctor, so you’ll be in good company.”

“That’s good.”

With that, the two siblings reached an agreement on their imminent travels.


	63. Bumper Cars Are Always Cool

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adults can act like children sometimes too. Johnny brings out the competitive nature of Jack and the Doctor while at a carnival on another planet. Everyone else just watches.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing here.

How they managed to find the one carnival planet in this particular corner of that galaxy during the twenty-ninth century was well beyond Ianto, but they did. Even stranger, they had found the alien version of bumper cars – which was exactly like the bumper cars of Earth, except with anti-gravity vehicles. 

It had taken all of about three seconds for Johnny and Jack to decide that they wanted to play. The Doctor was quick to follow. Within a minute, all three were bickering amongst themselves about who was better at bumper cars. 

This was surprisingly quite amusing.

Donna shared a knowing look with Ianto. She rolled her eyes expectantly, pursing her lips ever so slightly. She was trying not to laugh. 

Annabelle, as soon as she had spotted said carnival ride, pulled Andy out of the line of fire. Ianto didn’t disapprove. Knowing Johnny as well as he did, Ianto’s dear brother-in-law would be more than happy to use this opportunity as a way of grilling the blond former police sergeant and Ianto did want to keep Andy around. The younger man was handling all of the weird that came with the Doctor and TARDIS travel well enough and he genuinely cared for Annabelle – which was a rare combination.

Rhiannon, on the other hand, wasn’t handling the petty disagreement between the three grown men as well as the rest of them were. She moved to insert herself into the conversation.

Ianto reached out a hand and caught her elbow, stopping her. Rhiannon look at him with confused eyes. He shook his head.

“Let them at it,” he advised. “Trust me, you don’t want to break this up.”

“They’re being bloody ridiculous,” she replied, glancing back at the three men as they disappeared in the line ahead of them. Ianto could detect the faint level of concern in her voice and, knowing his sister the way he did, she would be concerned for Johnny’s safety until they returned.

“Honestly, it’s better to let it play out,” Donna said, calmly. “You’d be surprised how often this kind of thing happens.”

“Really?”

“With Jack and the Doctor around, oh yeah.”

Donna had hit the nail on the head, that was for sure. Ianto rolled his eyes.

“How about we go find something to eat,” he suggested, looking between his biological sister and his adopted sister. “The boys will get bored eventually and they’ll come and find us.”

“Eventually,” Donna agreed.

Rhiannon looked between the two of them, clearly torn between trying to corral her husband, Jack, and the Doctor (her mother instincts had been on over-load ever since she and Johnny set foot on the TARDIS) and going with Ianto and Donna. He saw the indecision in her eyes. 

Ianto slipped an arm around his sister’s waist.

“Trust me, Rhi, the worst possible thing that happens today is that Jack gets over-zealous and attempts an anti-gravity trick. If he does that, he’ll end up with a few broken bones, which will heal up soon enough. The Doctor’s responsible enough to keep Johnny from getting hurt.”

“I hope you’re right, Ianto,” Rhiannon told him, a faint hint of a threat in her voice. “If not, I will have to hurt you if Johnny’s caused permanent bodily harm because of the stupidity of your American.”

Ianto found that he could agree to that and the three departed to find a light lunch.

Near two and a half hours later, Jack, Johnny, and the Doctor appeared from the crowd, all wearing shit-eater grins. There were a few cuts and bruises between the three, all of which were fairly minor and would be tended easily back on the TARDIS, all carrying assorted carnival game prizes. 

Rhiannon let out a sigh of relief at that, tension easing out of her body, even as Johnny presented her with a very large stuffed teddy bear that he had clearly won from some game stand. She laughed and accepted the neon purple and green thing, planting a kiss on her husband’s cheek. The teddy was absolutely horrendous and an eye-sore, but the thought behind it was genuine and it was clear that Johnny had made a serious effort to win said stuffed animal for his wife, despite its appearance.

Ianto covertly watched as the Doctor presented Donna with a bouquet of glass flowers shaped as daffodils. It was a little known fact about Donna Noble, Time Lady and super temp extraordinaire, that she adored daffodils above all other kinds of flowers – even roses. Ianto smiled happily as she slipped into the Doctor’s embrace, the Time Lord setting his chin on her shoulder, the grin on his face actually happy and nowhere near his trademarked mad man grin.

Jack’s hand slipped into his.

He looked over at Jack and saw the item sitting in his hand. A broad grin crossed his lips and a laugh bubbled up.

Only Captain Jack Harkness could find miniature pterodactyl in a game booth at a carnival on an alien planet and win said miniature pterodactyl – not that Ianto Jones was complaining much.

Leaning over, he kissed Jack on the cheek. “You really are an amazing man, Jack.”

“I know.”

And that was how the TARDIS got a miniature pterodactyl.


	64. Dancing in the Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack and Ianto have a romantic interlude on another planet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No owning on my part here.

They wanted to have a nice evening out with Rhiannon and Johnny before the duo was returned to their proper time period. It had been a very nice trip that they had taken. Rhiannon and Johnny had seen the future and the past, been to alien planets, and had met John Lennon. And they would have kept traveling, if Rhiannon hadn’t said that it was time to go home because that was where they belonged.

Johnny didn’t want to leave the TARDIS, but he agreed with his wife, when sanity returned to him.

Ianto was sad to see his sister go home. He loved his sister and he did enjoy traveling with her, but he also knew that she couldn’t stay. As much as Rhiannon enjoyed traveling with them and the fact that she was able to hold up with their weirdness, she and Johnny were getting on in years and they wanted to settle down and enjoy their later years of retirement together – without the insanity that comes with traveling with the Doctor.

Jack was so sympathetic to Ianto. He loved Ianto’s family – Rhiannon and her clan in particular – dearly. They had accepted him in his weirdness and immortality.

Which is why he knew exactly where Ianto would be after they had dropped Rhiannon and Johnny back off on Earth.

The Doctor had landed the TARDIS on a nice little planet so that he and Donna could have a quiet date. Jack guessed that he had also done so to give Ianto and Jack some time to themselves, to enjoy each other’s company.

Ianto was sitting on a bluff overlooking a purple ocean.

Jack had a few ideas of how they could enjoy said ocean, but those could be put on hold for the time being. After all, skinny-dipping was fun and Ianto wouldn’t have to fear his modesty. There was no one around for a mile or two, so they had the beach all to themselves.

He carefully set the basket of food down and sat down next to Ianto, wrapping an arm around his husband’s shoulders.

“You slipped out without me noticing,” Jack commented lightly.

“Yeah, sorry about that.” Ianto’s voice was low and he was clearly trying to mask his emotions – which didn’t work well on Jack. They had been married for too long for Ianto to be able to hide anything from Jack.

“I had it all planned out,” he continued. “A nice romantic walk on the beach, candlelight picnic dinner, skinny dipping in the ocean, mind-blowing sex in the water.”

That earned him a smile.

“You would plan that, Jack,” Ianto replied.

He nodded his head in agreement. “But, of course, you decided that you wanted to be alone.” Ianto gave him a raised eyebrow. “That’s fine, Yan. You need time to yourself, but you do realize that, once the Doctor and Donna left, the TARDIS pretty much booted me out, picnic basket in hand fortunately.”

The sarcastic snort he got from Ianto was quite encouraging.

“You would plan to woo me and then suggest skinny-dipping while on a beach on an alien planet.”

“That has a purple ocean!”

“That too.”

Jack pulled Ianto into a tight embrace. The Welshman was warm and snuggled into him, pressing his face against Jack’s neck. A tingling sensation shot through Jack. Damn, even now, Ianto could seriously turn him by doing next to nothing!

A slow grin crossed his lips.

“So, how about it?” he asked, a few moments later.

Ianto glanced up at him. “Hm? What?”

“Wooing, picnic, skinny-dipping?” Jack let his eyes trail slowly over Ianto before flicking towards the water. “I mean, we shouldn’t pass this opportunity up – purple water!”

The man in his arms twisted ever so slightly and the next thing that Jack knew, Ianto had him pinned down, his back pressed firmly against the sand. Jack gave the Welshman a wolfish grin, twitching his eyebrows seductively at him. Ianto closed the scant distance between them and pressed a warm kiss on his lips. That kiss quickly evolved into something hotter and more passionate, taking Jack’s breath away.

Moments later, when they parted, Jack licked his lips, tasting that characteristic residual taste of Ianto, chuckling softly to himself.

“What were you saying about wooing, Jack?” Ianto asked.

Even in the light of the moon, he could see that Ianto’s eyes were sparkling with humor and mirth. Jack let loose a full laugh now, appreciating Ianto’s sense of humor. He reached up a hand and ran it through Ianto’s hair, cupping the back of his head.

“I believe I was saying something like this,” he answered quietly, guiding Ianto’s head down, their lips meeting again in a gentler kiss.

Upon parting, it was Ianto who was chuckling.

“That’s good.”

They both smiled.

“Yes, it is.”

And neither one needed any more words as they did everything that Jack had planned, though not necessarily in the order that he planned.

Hours later, when they walked back into the TARDIS, arm in arm, sandy, wet, and quite disheveled, empty picnic basket dangling off of Ianto’s free elbow, Jack was so glad that the old girl had booted him out. She had that knack for knowing when things needed to happen, even if the Doctor didn’t always listen to her.

She flashed warmly around the coral, their miniature pterodactyl, Fawn, swooping merrily around the coral.

“Good day?” Donna asked, grinning at them.

“Yep,” Ianto replied, “good day.”

“Good.”


	65. Celebrate Good Times, Alright!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next generation is growing up quickly and Anwen is celebrating her third wedding anniversary with a small party. See what happens when the TARDIS crew attends said party and Gwen realizes who Annabelle's boyfriend is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own a thing here.

They should have expected to get the invitations to Anwen’s anniversary party. Last time Ianto and Jack had talked to Rhys, the Welshman had told them that Anwen had announced to Eleanor and himself that she was pregnant, which would make this year special. She and her husband, Gerry, decided that they were going to break convention and have a small, joint anniversary and baby shower party.

Jack was quite eager to go to attend, as usual. 

He did love these sorts of things – especially when said they involved someone he genuinely cared about. Rhys and Anwen had been a staple in both his and Ianto’s lives over the years. Both were very easy around the two immortals, along the rest of their oddball family, which was a small blessing, in and of itself.

And Rhys had been actually very supportive of Annabelle’s relationship with Andy, when Ianto had spilled the beans. Rhys did like Andy. The blond had, likewise, grown on Rhys, who looked past the fact that Andy had, once upon a time, had had a relationship with Gwen. It was much to Andy’s credit that he had long since gotten over Gwen and it was a shared opinion by everyone who knew Annabelle that she was the far better choice for Andy than Gwen ever was. 

Give to Anwen, Ianto mused, to be the one to decide to throw her own baby shower though. She certainly had that way about her. Gerry, likewise, had gone along with it, being the one to say that they should celebrate it on their actual third wedding anniversary, inviting their families and close friends along.

Gerry was a good man that way. He, like Anwen, was a school teacher and was so excited about having a baby. The few times that Jack and Ianto had spent time with him, he had been very courteous and gentlemanly towards them, actively engaging them in conversation.

Regardless, as they arrived at the venue for the party, Ianto felt the faint, tell-tale signs of nerves wash over him – not nerves at the prospect of one of his adopted nieces having a child of her own (no, he was so happy for her), but at the prospect of seeing Gwen for the first time in many years. It was a hard pill to swallow, but he knew that she was going to be at the part. Rhys had told the entire TARDIS crew so much and it was only right that she would be there. 

Gwen was Anwen’s mother after all and rightly should have a part in her grandchild’s life.

But that didn’t allay his nerves or that old fear that still lived in his gut. As much as he had his own personal feelings of Gwen’s actions towards himself, Ianto did have to give her some credit. In the last few years, she had made a significant effort to mend the distance between herself and her now-ex-husband and their daughter. He had to guess that it had something to do with reality hitting her after a particularly bad week at work and the fact that Rose had finally gotten on her last nerve.

Jack slipped an arm around his waist as they walked into the hall, heading towards an open table, Annabelle, Andy, the Doctor, Donna, and the twins following behind them. Ianto looked over at him and smiled a bit.

“You were thinking about Gwen, weren’t you?” Jack asked, knowingly smiling at Ianto.

He nodded, his eyes flicking to the front of the room, where the soon-to-be grandmother was sitting, hands folded on her lap, next to Eleanor. It was a pity, Ianto mused briefly, Gwen hadn’t found herself another husband. The guilt of ruining a perfectly good relationship and marriage haunted her still, he noted, if her posture and general uncomfortable air towards Eleanor was anything to go by, but he was not going to fault Rhys and Eleanor their relationship. Those two were good together and they proved that, as time went on, their love for each other only got stronger. 

“Just a bit,” Ianto admitted to Jack, a few seconds later.

“We don’t have to talk to her, if you don’t want to,” Jack promised. Ianto was grateful for that, though he saw the deviousness in his husband’s eyes. “But, you have to admit, you do want to see what she’ll say about Andy and Annabelle.”

Ianto snorted as they took their seats. “Oh, yes. That’ll be hilarious.”

When they had absconded with Andy, back in 2015, it had been some stroke of luck and (probably) temporal design that Annabelle had not been with them when they cleared out Andy’s desk at the station. Gwen had been there and she had been quite miffed to see Andy leaving the station. Under a previous agreement (enforced by the Doctor), Jack and Ianto had played dumb about the real reason that Andy was leaving – something about the fact that they were protecting future encounters that Gwen would have with their past selves. That was why they happened to be at the station by coincidence on Andy’s last day before he left the Cardiff Police Force for good.

And Andy hadn’t been in contact with Gwen since, which was good.

That meant that, for a little while, they were able to enjoy the party, before the sparks started to fly. 

The party itself was fairly simple and most everyone was enjoying themselves. Anwen looked like the image of beauty at six months, her baby bump quite obvious. Ianto was so proud of his niece. Was it only yesterday that she had been four years old and he was just meeting her for the first time? 

Ianto could hardly believe how fast children grew up sometimes. 

Eventually, however, things got interesting.

They had managed to congratulate Anwen and Gerry eventually, handing off their gift, a spa weekend for Anwen, after the baby was born, and a wooden rocking chair from the late eighteenth century that Jack had remembered from a shop in Victorian London, and spent time with Rhys and Eleanor before Gwen caught up with them, Donna and the Doctor joining them moments later, smiles going all around. Jack had been the one who first caught sight of Gwen approaching them. He nudged Ianto’s side, drawing his attention.

“Hello, Gwen,” Ianto said.

“Jack, Ianto,” she replied, looking between the two of them, sniffing a bit. “I should have expected to see you here.”

“Of course,” Jack said, an easy grin crossing his face, “we wouldn’t miss Anwen’s party for anything in the universe.” He quirked an eyebrow at her, a little habit that Ianto found to be quite endearing and caused the Welsh immortal smile, despite himself. “After all, we couldn’t miss out on this shindig. You know how much I love parties!”

Ianto saw the little hint of a plan in Jack’s eyes. He knew where Jack’s brain was going, only because of the many years that they had spent together.

“Well, and Annabelle wanted to bring her boyfriend along too,” Ianto added, throwing a little bone for Gwen.

“Boyfriend?”

Both Ianto and Jack glanced back to where Annabelle and Andy were standing, chatting with the twins and Theo. Gwen’s jaw dropped noticeably. The gears in her head were turning and Ianto knew that she was thinking back to the last time that she had seen and spoken to Andy, all those years ago. The story that Andy had fed to his family was that he had been offered a position with an organization that went into war zones and other difficult areas, to help people. It wasn’t a totally false situation. Traveling with the Doctor was a lot like that.

Annabelle looked over at them, as if sensing Gwen’s gaze on them. Ianto saw her smile a bit and touch Andy on the arm. The blond Welshman followed her gaze, eyes locking on Gwen, who was still gaping at them.

The duo walked over and joined them.

“Hello, Gwen,” Andy said, giving her a warm smile. He didn’t have anything against Gwen, Ianto knew that for a fact. 

A long time ago, Andy set aside those romantic feelings he had for Gwen, when he realized that the relationship that they had shared had simply been one of connivance and not one that would have been good for either one of them. Besides, Ianto knew, for a fact, that Andy genuinely loved Annabelle and that the relationship that the two of them shared had a really good chance of being successful.

“Andy . . . you’re . . . you’re dating her?”

Gwen’s loud exclamation caused a few people to turn in surprise, clearly in shock to see Anwen’s mother very close to throwing a fit. All of the signs of a Gwen-Cooper-temper-tantrum were all there. Even after all this time, Ianto still recognized the signs. Jack and Rhys did too and, out of the corner of his eye, Ianto saw the two men shift, following his lead, trying to block Gwen from view as they tried to talk her down from the tantrum. 

“Annabelle? Yeah, I’m her boyfriend,” Andy said. He glanced over at Annabelle, smiling, and reached over, taking her hand. His choice of words was not lost on Ianto. “What’s wrong with that?”

The dark-haired woman looked from Annabelle and Andy to Ianto and Jack. Her jaw was set and there was a fire in her eyes.

“How can you let this happen, Jack, Ianto?” she spat out. “This is why you left, Andy? To travel through time and space? To be with their daughter? How can you justify standing here, when you’ll let Andy travel with you?”

Ianto looked at Jack and then back to Rhys, Donna, and the Doctor. They all had similar looks on their faces. 

“Andy is a good man and he’s proved himself on more than one occasion,” the Doctor explained, cautiously. His tone was dark and level. Ianto tensed. Everyone, even Rhys, did the same at the sound of his voice. The Doctor was using his Oncoming-Storm voice. “I’ve watched you over the years, Gwen Cooper, so you can’t play the moral high ground here. You cannot tell us what to do, especially who travels with us and who dates Annabelle. That is a private matter between Annabelle and Andy.”

Jack was about to step forward, but Andy cut him off. Ianto saw the determined look on his face and he applauded the blond for it.

“I don’t know what your problem with Jack and Ianto is and I honestly don’t care if you hate them or hate me because I’m dating Annabelle,” he said, his eyes narrowed ever so slightly, his tone even and near deadly, a good companion to the Doctor’s Oncoming-Storm voice. “Jack, Ianto, and Annabelle are some of the best people I’ve ever met. You should know. You worked with Jack and Ianto all those years ago with Torchwood.” Andy’s tone was getting more forceful and impassioned. “Get over yourself, Gwen. If you can’t handle the fact that I’ve clearly moved on from you and found someone who loves, appreciates, and supports me, then I would appreciate it if you didn’t deride myself, Annabelle, and Annabelle’s family.”

Gwen was clearly pissed off, though she couldn’t take the moral high ground here. She was already causing enough of a scene. Rhys stepped forward, reaching out a hand to his ex-wife’s elbow, steadying her. Gwen flinched away from his touch.

“Gwen,” Rhys said, “please calm down. You’re being ridiculous.”

The woman looked at him. She was angry alright, Ianto could tell.

Gwen didn’t say anything. Her hackles were up and she turned, stomping away. The tension dissipated in the air, slowly but surely. Ianto let out the breath that he didn’t know that he had been holding.

“That went . . . well,” he said, a few seconds later. It was a lame attempt to break the ice that was hanging over them, he knew it, but it was still an effort.

Andy shook his head.

“It was interesting, to say the least,” he agreed. Andy wrapped an arm around Annabelle, pulling her into a comforting embrace. “Though I’m glad we dealt with this. Chances are, we would’ve had to deal with Gwen at some point during the day and I’d rather that we deal with the elephant in the room now, rather than later. It would have ruined the rest of the evening for us.” He gave a smile to Annabelle. “Besides, I’d rather Gwen know now that I’ve the best girlfriend in the entire universe and I’m not giving her up for anything.”

Annabelle grinned at that. “Thanks, Andy,” she said before sighing heavily, looking at her fathers. Ianto saw the look in her eyes. “I hate that Aunt Gwen doesn’t support us – and you, Tad and Dad – like you said that she used to. Is there any chance she’ll return to how she used to be?”

Ianto shrugged.

“I don’t know, Annabelle,” Ianto told her, honestly. “But that’s not the point right now.” He looked over at Rhys. “Anwen is having a baby and we’re all here to celebrate that!”

Jack looped an arm around his waist, squeezing tightly, pressing a kiss to Ianto’s cheek. 

“That we are,” Jack said. “And you all know how much I love these kinds of shindigs.”

They all laughed. That much was still true about Jack. 

He did love parties, even when he wasn’t the center of attention. Those parties were always more fun, in retrospect.


	66. Hopes and Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack and Ianto have a deep conversation in the night about life, love, and their family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just playing here. I don't anything.

The room was dark around them. There was only the faintest of glow from the lights near the bathroom. The TARDIS had dimmed the primary lights of the room when the two had climbed into bed, limbs intertwining, pulling each other closer.

Jack smiled as he buried his head into Ianto’s shoulder, inhaling that unique scent that belonged solely to one Ianto Jones. He smiled gently at that. He loved Ianto’s scent.

“Love you, Yan,” he mumbled, his words muffled a bit by Ianto’s shoulder.

“Love you too, Jack,” Ianto replied, his tone of voice indicating that there was something akin to a smirk on his lips. Jack felt his stomach do a little flip-flop. He loved it when Ianto used that tone of voice, especially when there was no negative emotions attached to it or when, at least, those famous (or infamous, depending on who you were asking) emotions were definitely not directed at him. 

Ianto was tracing circles on his skin lightly with the tips of his fingers. Shivers coursed through Jack’s body at those touches. They felt so damn nice and pretty much always served as a way of successfully get Jack to do whatever Ianto wanted him to do – which was a hard task for most of the beings in the universe.

But Jack also knew that, by the haphazard trail of Ianto’s fingers, there was something on Ianto’s mind, distracting him from this almost unconscious habit.

“Is everything alright, Ianto?” Jack asked, shifting his body so that he was looking at his beautiful Welshman.

Ianto blew out a breath. Emotions ran across his face that Jack had trouble reading – which was another extremely hard task, given the years that they have spent together. That alone was a cause for serious concern from Jack. He almost never had any trouble reading Ianto!

After a few seconds, Ianto replied, his voice small and tentative, “Do you think that we’ll ever have any more kids, Jack?”

Jack’s stomach dropped in surprise.

Kids – Ianto was thinking about them having more kids. That was one of the most beautiful things that he had heard in a very long time.

A bright smile crossed Jack’s face as he shifted his head to get a better look at his Welsh beloved.

“That’s a definite possibility,” he answered, his tone evident of all those happy emotions that were playing through his mind at this particular moment.

The look of awe that crossed Ianto’s face was nothing short of miraculous and served to make the Welsh immortal look even more drop-dead gorgeous than he already was. Jack chuckled, shifting onto his stomach to get an even-better vantage point at Ianto, who, it seemed, was having trouble comprehending what Jack had said. Jack felt his heart swell at the sight of Ianto in all his Ianto happiness. 

This was too beautiful!

“Really?” Ianto asked, his voice still maintaining that tentative note. “I mean, I love Annabelle. She is one of the best things in my life, but sometimes I worry about her missing out on having a sibling, even if she’s grown up now.”

He was on the verge of rambling. Ianto was so endearing when he rambled and normally Jack was inclined to let him ramble, but not at the moment.

Jack reached out and cupped his face with a hand, drawing Ianto’s eyes to him. A lot of things must be going through Ianto’s mind right now – probably a good chunk of those thoughts included immortality and their children. It was a proven fact that Annabelle had inherited something akin to immortality from them, but that did not mean that another child would necessarily inherit that trait as well. Then they had the ramifications of creating a number of true immortals or pseudo-immortals. The Doctor, Jack knew, would not be happy if there were a large number of their near-immortal descendants running around the universe.

But that was something that they could discuss with the Doctor at some later point in time. Definitely not now!

“I would love to have another child with you, Jones, Ianto Jones,” Jack said. “Children are the truest blessings in the universe and, from where I’m sitting, any child that I have with you would be doubly so.”

“You’re not sitting, Jack. You’re lying down,” Ianto retorted quickly, his quip as droll and dry as ever, causing Jack to laugh.

“Regardless, the sentiment remains the same.”

Ianto smiled a bit. “Sometimes, I worry that I’d want more kids and you’d be content with merely having Annabelle.”

Jack raised an eyebrow. “Hey! That’s not true! I love kids.”

“I know you do, but don’t you remember the horror of being pregnant with Annabelle and then when she was a kid?”

Oh, he did, but that wasn’t a deterrent for him.

“But it was worth it, in the end. Look how Annabelle’s turned out now?”

“All grown up and off exploring the galaxy with Andy as her boyfriend.”

They both chuckled at that thought.

“Who would have thought that our daughter would have fallen in love with that formerly-annoying and actually brave and quite helpful PC-turned-sergeant of the Cardiff Police Force and that Andy Davidson would be traveling around with a large bunch of spooky-dos?” Jack asked, quirking an eyebrow at Ianto, knowing that Ianto would get the strangeness and the joke of it all.

“Life, karma, and the universe have an odd sense of humor sometimes,” Ianto relented. He was near laughter at that thought.

That much, Jack knew for certain, was true.

They shared a look and a smile and Jack leaned his head onto Ianto’s shoulder. “We’ll have another child one day, Ianto,” he promised. Hopefully, it would be sooner rather than later, Jack thought to himself. 

“Good.”

And it was


	67. Wondering Why As Days Go By

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andy asks a question or two of Jack and Ianto and gets a very straight answer for both.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No ownage here.

“Why do you all wear the virtually the same outfits every day?”

They were having an extraordinary lazy day on the TARDIS – a regular occurrence, as mandated by Donna – when Andy posed that question to the two of them. Jack looked down at Ianto, who had been lazily lounging on the couch in the control of the TARDIS, legs kicked out over one arm of the plush armrests, his head settled on Jack’s lap, looking altogether very much unlike the professional Ianto that Jack remembered from Torchwood or the intimidating man that the rest of the universe had cause to fear every now and again. 

Ianto gave Jack a little grin, chuckling a little bit under his breath. The Welsh immortal looked over at their daughter’s boyfriend.

“Why do you ask, Andy?” he asked, his tone even and drool.

Andy gave them a little smile and continued, “Well, ever since I started traveling with you lot, I’ve hardly seen either one of you change up your outfits.” He paused, thought, and laughed. “Same goes for the Doctor and Donna, to an extent.”

The two immortals shared a look.

“You know,” Jack said, “I’ve never thought about that.” He looked back over all of the years that he had traveled with the back, all the way back to the beginning, with the Doctor’s previous incarnation and Rose. “I used to change up my outfits on a regular basis, back when I started.”

“Really?” Ianto asked, tilting his head back to look at Jack a bit. 

Jack looked down and carefully and lazily threaded his hand through Ianto’s hair, musing up the previously-perfectly coifed hair. He grinned.

“Yep,” he said, “but that didn’t last long though. After I died that first time, I started to realize what I felt most comfortable wearing and I’ve stuck with that ever since.”

Andy shook his head. “But what about the rest of you lot? It’s rather odd, you know.”

“The Doctor’s a Time Lord, as you know,” Ianto prompted, causing the blonde to nod in agreement. “Well, based on past facts, each one of the Doctor’s past regenerations have had their own personal bits of style and no one really challenges him for that. I know that I wouldn’t.” He laughed a bit. “I guess that Donna has picked up on some of his traits through the Metacrisis.” Ianto shrugged a bit. “Call it being set in ways, but I’m not going to challenge either one of them, if you know what I mean.”

The two men laughed, knowing exactly what Ianto meant. A full-blooded Time Lord and a Human-Time Lord hybrid were a very interesting and potentially dangerous combination, if so prompted.

“Well, what about you, Ianto?”

Jack smirked. Andy definitely had a point there. Ianto, unlike the Doctor, Donna, and, to some extent, Jack, didn’t have any reason to stick to his particular, preferred style of clothing. Jack honestly wasn’t complaining though. He particularly enjoyed when Ianto wore suits or some combination of his suits, namely the waistcoat and the tie. Ianto looked so damn gorgeous in said articles of clothing.

Ianto seemed to know what Jack was thinking, just like he always did. He slapped a hand to Jack’s leg, giving him a disapproving look, shaking his head.

He looked back to Andy.

“Force of habit, I suppose,” Ianto said, shrugging his shoulders. “Suits are comfortable for me and, as I’ve learned, they do make people take a second look at you, when the need arises.”

Jack chuckled.

“And he looks damn sexy in them too,” the American immortal added, running his hand through Ianto’s hair.

Ianto swatted Jack’s hand away.

“I suppose I’ve stuck with what I’m used to and am comfortable in.”

“Whatever floats your boat, then.” Andy shook his head at them. Ianto saw the good-natured look on his face, the way that he was so casual about this. “But you make no sense sometimes, I hope you realize it.”

“Well, that’s the point.”

“I suppose.” Once again, Andy looked between the two of them. “Though I see where Annabelle gets all of her personality from, the more time that I spend with you.”

Jack grinned widely. “Of course!”

And the three of them shared a laugh.


End file.
